If Governor Bill Walker has his way and Medicaid is expanded, 5,830 Kenai Peninsula residents could benefit from increased healthcare coverage.
Central Peninsula Hospital granted $20 million in charity care last year. CEO Rick Davis said Medicaid expansion would help fill an expensive gap…
Davis: “If they do choose to participate in the Medicaid expansion program, then we’ll see more of our uninsured patients that are below the poverty level which currently would not be eligible to participate in the exchange under the subsidized exchange program and they’re also not eligible for Medicaid, when Medicaid expansion gets approved, they would then be eligible for Medicaid.”
Davis predicted that better access to healthcare services would help reduce costs overall, preventing more patients from ever reaching the emergency room.
Last year, 17% of Central Peninsula Health Services patients were uninsured, up from 13% in 2013.
PCHS grants $3 million worth of charitable care every year, a whopping 21% of their overall budget. Without Medicaid expansion, the health services will be feeling the crunch.