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Gov. Steven L. Beshear of Kentucky released a study Thursday predicting that his expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act would generate a positive fiscal impact of nearly $1 billion for the state over the next seven years. (Goodnough, 2/12)

Kentucky's often-debated expansion of Medicaid is financially viable and will provide a net gain to the state, including 40,000 new jobs through 2021, according to Gov. Steve Beshear. He held an hourlong news conference Thursday to share information from a state report that lays out the success of Medicaid expansion in Kentucky and "answers the questions as to whether we can afford it," Beshear said. The answer is yes, he said. (Meehan, 2/12)

Kentucky is seeing a positive economic impact in its first 12 months of Medicaid expansion, above even the state's projections in 2013, according to new data released Thursday by Gov. Steve Beshear. The state added 12,000 jobs last year, including more than 5,400 in healthcare, as a result of the Affordable Care Act, the governor reported. That number is expected to rise to 40,000 new jobs by 2021, according to Beshear, who placed the net economic impact on the state at $30 billion over eight years. (Kutscher, 2/12)

Shawnise Lewis had emergency surgery in 2013. She didn’t have insurance. Now, she does, through Medicaid. And she’s willing to pay a little to keep it. ... [Gov. John] Kasich wants about 100,000 of Medicaid’s better-off adults – those whose income reaches or surpasses the federal poverty level of $11,670 for a single adult – to pay a monthly premium on their insurance. Those premiums would likely average $20 a month, the governor’s staff said. Low-income Ohioans who would have to pay premiums under the plan told The Enquirer their budgets are tight already. But they don’t want to lose their health insurance and said they realize they’d likely pay much more for coverage without Medicaid. (Thompson, 2/12)

House Republican leaders say they support Gov. Peter Shumlin's proposal to increase the state's Medicaid reimbursement rate, but they strongly oppose how the governor wants to pay for this plan. ... Under the governor's plan, a new payroll tax of 0.7 percent would be imposed on all employers and a good chunk of the money would be used to increase the Medicaid reimbursement rate. ... Instead of using a new payroll tax, House Minority leader Don Turner wants Vermont to dump its state health care exchange and adopt a federal model. "This money can be re-prioritized to do some of the goals we've outlined," says Miller. (Kinzel, 2/12)

Local hospital leaders and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff are voicing support for a proposal to provide government subsidies to Texans falling into the Medicaid gap so they can buy health insurance. The proposal, known as the Texas Way coverage plan, is being touted as a private-market-based alternative to expanding Medicaid eligibility requirements. Supporters say the idea would require state and federal funding and could provide private health coverage to more than 1 million low-income Texans and 100,000 Bexar County residents shut out when Texas chose not to expand Medicaid. (O'Hare, 2/11)