U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell says expansion of the Medicaid program makes economic sense and she cites Kentucky as a case in point. Burwell testified on Capitol Hill on April 23 about costs associated with the expansion.
Burwell says Governor Beshear did his homework by asking for an independent analysis of the expenses and benefits before committing to the establishment of Kentucky’s health exchange. The research concluded that Medicaid would pump thirty billion dollars into Kentucky’s economy and create forty thousand jobs.
Burwell also says Medicaid expansion is allowing for reform of the health care delivery system as a means of reducing costs. She says it’ll result in fewer people using hospital emergency rooms for primary care services. Burwell says newly insured people who once went to hospital emergency rooms for primary care are now visiting a family physician.
Burwell also states that expand Medicaid will be able to take better care of their citizens, reduce long-range health costs and improve their economies.
Burwell added that the Affordable Care Act is fundamentally changing the way health care is being delivered and that’ll help lower costs.
