Tagged: Affordable Care Act

Tea party activist David Adams is again suing Gov. Steve Beshear.

This time it's over the Affordable Care Act, also called Obamacare.

The lawsuit aims at stopping Beshear from expanding Medicaid in Kentucky.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell questioned Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear's long-awaited decision to expand Medicaid coverage under the president's health care law, arguing it will expose Kentuckians to increasing costs.

As Kentucky Public Radio's Kenny Colston reports, Beshear, a Democrat, announced the state's Medicaid program will extend coverage to over 300,000 Kentuckians under the Affordable Care Act or what opponents calls Obamacare.

This means the state's Medicaid rolls will extend to more low-income and poor people who are below 138 percent of the federal poverty line.

The governor called it the right thing to do, and the decision was praised by fellow Democrats and health advocacy groups.

However, Kentucky's senior senator warned the extension will be costly for residents and hurt small businesses.

"Given Kentucky’s struggles to finance its current Medicaid program and the uncertainty of future federal funding, I am surprised the governor would make this decision to further implement Obamacare and expose the commonwealth’s taxpayers to more open ended expenses they cannot afford," McConnell said in a statement.

Kentucky Republican Congressman Thomas Massie has co-sponsored a bill that would allow individuals to ignore portions of the Affordable Care Act that violate their religious beliefs.

The Health Care Conscience Rights Act seeks to protect those who argue expanding coverage for contraceptives and abortion comes into conflict with their faith. For religious and political conservatives, the health care mandate to employers encroaches upon their constitutional rights.

According to Massie's office, the bill also protects health care providers who refuse to perform certain procedures and give refuge to people with religious convictions.

"Obamacare is expensive, unconstitutional, and threatens our First Amendment right of conscience," Massie said in a news release. "This bill protects churches, religious organizations, and business owners from being forced to violate their beliefs."

Before the first gavel is hit the start the 2013 legislative session in Kentucky, Tea Party activists plan to rally in the Capitol Rotunda against the federal Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.

It’s the second capital rally against the health care law, which Kentucky has actively worked to implement by executive order from Governor Steve Beshear.

Rally organizer and activist David Adams says the goal of the rally is to convince lawmakers to pass a law overturning Beshear’s order and the health exchange in Kentucky.

After months building a state-based health exchange, Kentucky officials have been told that the federal government has given approval to their work.

Despite objections from Republican lawmakers, Kentucky officials quickly began working on a state-based exchange --- a part of the Affordable Care Act.

Many states surrounding Kentucky are opting for a federal-run exchange or haven’t yet made a decision.