Medicaid Enrollment Surges, Stirs Worry About State Budgets

More than a dozen states that opted to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act have seen enrollments surge way beyond projections. The rising enrollments raised concerns that the added costs will strain their budgets when federal aid is scaled back starting in two years. Some lawmakers warn the price of expanding the health care program for poor and lower-income Americans could mean less money available for other state services, including education.
In Kentucky enrollments during the 2014 fiscal year were more than double the number projected. The state revised its Medicaid cost estimate from $33 million to $74 million for the 2017 fiscal year. States will pay 10 percent of the costs by 2020.