A recent article about Medicaid managed care in Kentucky features quotes and research by Bluegrass Institute scholar Dr. John Garen.

The article titled "Medicaid Managed Care Blues in the Bluegrass State" by Kenneth Artz is a great overview of the situation that Kentucky now faces. It is no secret that Kentucky's Medicaid program faces significant challenges. The most notable problem is the fact that without serious reforms, the current program is simply not sustainable.

John Garen, an economics professor at the University of Kentucky and a Bluegrass Institute adjunct scholar, says that the state’s Medicaid program was unsustainable regardless of the shift to managed care.

“It’s not unlike Medicaid in other states,” said Garen. “Prices are increasing just as the numbers of eligible folks going onto the rolls are increasing. It’s been growing just a few percentage points every year, but it all adds up. With the ObamaCare mandate expected to force more companies to no longer offer employee health insurance, even more are expected to join Medicaid. This will further increase costs.

“All of this adds up to Medicaid expenditures increasing faster than economic growth,” Garen said.

Garen authored "An Unsustainable Path: The Past and Future of Kentucky Medicaid" which made numerous recommendations about how the stat's Medicaid program could be turned around.

There's no time to waste as this problem becomes more serious by the day!