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Friday, 25 March 2016

Princess Health and Will There Ever Be Enough Straws to Break Corporate Health Care Managers' Impunity's Back? - Novartis Settles Yet Again, This Time for Bribing Doctors. Princessiccia

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Umpteenth verse, same as the first...

As just reported by Bloomberg,

Novartis AG said it agreed to pay $25 million to settle a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission case that claimed the Swiss drugmaker paid bribes to health professionals in China to increase sales from 2009 to 2013.

In particular,

The SEC detailed a number of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations where Novartis employees provided items of value to health-care professionals in China, under the supervision of complicit managers. It also cited examples of how the company improperly recorded as legitimate expenses payments employees made for travel and entertainment, conferences, lecture fees, marketing events, educational seminars and medical studies.

For some vivid examples,

In one example cited in the SEC order on Novartis, a sales representative at the drugmaker�s Sandoz China subsidiary submitted a $1,154 receipt to buy holiday gifts for 25 health-care professionals, which was instead used to pay for their spa and sauna sessions. A regional sales manager approved the purchase, the SEC said.

The SEC order also cited how Sandoz China sponsored 20 health-care professionals to attend a 2009 medical conference in Chicago. During the trip, the company paid for the group�s recreational activities such as a Niagara Falls excursions, $150 in 'walking around' money for their spouses, and cover charges to a strip club. The group was accompanied by a Sandoz China senior manager and other staff, according to the SEC.

So, thus far, the allegations were that Novaris bribed Chinese physicians to use their products, and the bribes includes gifts, travel money, and admission to a strip club.  It is likely that these bribes induced the physicians to unnecessarily or excssively prescribe Sandoz drugs to patients, leading to excess expenses, overtreatment, and quite likely adverse effects that should have been prevented.

As per the Wall Street Journal, and as usually happens in such cases, Novartis was allowed to settle without "admitting or denying the findigs." In the Bloomberg article, a Novartis spokesperson gave the usual vague response,

'The issues raised by the SEC, which relate to our subsidiaries in China and go back as far as 2009, largely pre-date many of the compliance-related measures introduced by Novartis across its global organization in recent years,' Novartis spokesman Eric Althoff said in an e-mailed statement Thursday.

The implication was that the company no longer does these bad things, but did not include a promise not to do them. And, of course, just like in many, many other health care cases, and in many, many other cases involving big, powerful, or influential organizations, no one at a top management level went to jail, or even suffered any negative consequences, even for such sleazy allegations as those in this case.  Finally, partially because the amount of this settlement was so small related to the financial bulk of the company involved, this case was relatively anechoic, only reported in the small items in the business press.

Summary

As we are distracted by bloviating billionaires and other spectacles on the US 2016 campaign trail, we continue to accumulate evidence of the corruption of large health care organizations and the impunity of their leaders.  Yet this evidence remains anechoic, even given the apparent recidivism involved.  For example, it was only in last November that we discussed what were then the latest misadventures by Novartis and its leadership.  At that time, our post included these section headings covering 2014-15:

-  Japanese Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry Found that Novartis Concealed Serious Adverse Effects
- Novartis Executive Pleads Guilty to Bribing Polish Official
- Novartis Subsidiary Sandoz Settles Allegations that it Misrepresented Pricing Data to US Medicaid
- Express Scripts Settles Allegations that it Accepted Kickbacks from Novartis
- Novartis Settles US Allegations of Kickbacks to Enhance Sales of Multiple Drugs

Furthermore, in that post we also documented Novartis' previous record.   In March, 2014, we had noted:
- Italian authorities had fined Novartis and Roche for colluding to promote the use of an expensive opthamologic treatment
- the NY Times published interviews with physicians ostensibly showing how Novartis turned them into marketers for the drug Starlix
- Japanese investigators charged Novartis with manipulating clinical research
- Indian regulators canceled a Novartis import license, charging the company with fraud.

Also,  in 2013, Novartis was fined for anti-competitive practices in its marketing of Fentanyl by the European Commission (look here), and in 2011 its Sandoz subsidiary settled allegations of misreporting prices in the US for $150 million (look here)   Other Novartis misadventures from 2010 and earlier appear here.  So Novartis has quite an impressive, if not infamous record of ethical failures.

Yet no Novartis top manager suffered any negative consequences then (although one apparent mid-level company manager at the Polish subsidiary did plead guilty), and all these previous episodes apparently did not suggest a pattern of recidivism to US authorities this time sufficient to attempt to impose any negative consequences on higher level managers.  Meanwhile, Novartis executives continue to be paid handsomely.  The 2015 Novartis executive compensation report listed over 51 million Swiss francs paid

Also, this goes on while large health care companies continue to pay out dizzying amounts to physicians, health care professionals, hospitals and academic institutions, which partially may secure their loyalty.  Novartis, for example, which ProPublica lists as only the 28th biggest payer to physicians, paid out $31.7  million in 2013-14 just to US physicians.    The 2015 Novartis board of directors included Dr Nancy C Andrews, the Dean of the Duke Medical School and Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Duke University,  Dr Dimitri Azar, Dean of the College of Medicine at the University of Chicago, Illinois, and Dr Charles L Sawyers, a professor and department chair at Weill-Cornell Medical School.   I am unaware that anyone of them have publicly raised any concerns about Novartis' recent misadventures, although I am also unaware whether anyone has publicly asked them such questions. 

No wonder that ordinary US (and other countries' citizens) feel that they are trapped in a hopeless economic situation by rigged systems designed to benefit from the corrupt insiders.  No wonder that someone of them are seeking the protection of some of those powerful insiders.  But I digress...

In terms of health care, as we have said like a broken record (if anyone remembers what that means), or, if you prefer, where every verse is same as the first...

There seems to be increasing recognition that the continuing rise in US health care costs is unsustainable, and that these costs are not buying us good health care.  There are calls to avoid unnecessary, and sometimes harmful care.  Yet there is a persistent disconnect between how continuing dishonest behavior by health care organizations, impunity of their leaders, and lack of accountability by their board members fuel rising costs, shrinking access, and bad outcomes for patients.

To truly reform health care, we will have to at least recognize the causes of the current dysfunction.  Recognizing how health care dysfunction is created by unaccountable, dishonest leadership should lead to true reform that would promote well-informed, honest, accountable leadership that puts patients' and the public's health ahead of personal gain.

Our musical interlude ("second verse, same as the first,") Herman's Hermits, Henry VIII



Princess Health and Survey of Cincy-area students, including some in Kenton County, finds pot and vaping more popular than cigs; drug use down. Princessiccia

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Students in Greater Cincinnati, including Northern Kentucky, are more likely to use marijuana and electronic vapor products than cigarettes, according to a drug-use survey of students in the region.

Graph from PreventionFirst report
The survey found that students in the area were most likely to use alcohol (16.3 percent) within the past 30 days, followed by marijuana (11.7 percent), electronic vapor products (13.4 percent), tobacco (8.2 percent) and non-prescribed prescription drugs (4.6 percent).

This was the first year a question was included about electronic vapor products in the biennial surveys by PreventionFirst (formerly the Coalition for a Drug-Free Greater Cincinnati), a comprehensive effort to reduce adolescent alcohol and drug use.

The good news is that most students are not using alcohol, tobacco or other drugs, says the report.

The study surveyed nearly 40,000 students in grades seven through 12 from 88 public and private schools in several counties in Greater Cincinnati and Kentucky's Kenton County. They were asked whether they'd used any of 21 drugs.

The survey found that use of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana have declined significantly since 2000: alcohol down 46 percent, tobacco down 61 percent and marijuana declining 22 percent. Since 2012, non-prescribed prescription drug use has declined 29 percent.

It found that students' perception of the harm that alcohol can do has increased, while they were less concerned about marijuana.

With marijuana, as students get older "their perception of harm decreases, and use increases," said PreventionFirst CEO Mary Haag told Terry DeMio  of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

"Marijuana has become very prevalent and it's becoming more so," Hamilton County Commissioner Dennis Deters, who chairs the Hamilton County Heroin Coalition, told DeMio. "It's dangerous to our children and it enhances their risk when they become adults for serious addiction."

The report calls age 13 a "pivotal age" because this is when first drug use often occurs in students.

The report also finds that peer and parental disapproval rates are at an all-time high.

"We know how important friends and parents are in a young person's life," Haag said in the news release. "Students whose peers and family express disapproval are more likely to make the healthy choice to not use drugs and alcohol."

Thursday, 24 March 2016

Princess Health and March 24th, 2016 Throwback Thursday. Princessiccia

Princess Health and March 24th, 2016 Throwback Thursday. Princessiccia

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March 24th, 2016 Throwback Thursday

Yesterday's visit with Jon and his his dad, Bob, was a fantastic experience. They're great people. The two of them stopped by the studio early this morning on their way out of town. Jon brought along some homemade tomato juice. He makes this with his own homegrown tomatoes and a little salt--that's it. It's as pure and organic as can be. Naturally I tried it (see the tweet below)--and loved it! Jon left me a jar of it before they hit the road. He's a planner and very prepared! He has coolers stocked for the trip with some of his favorite things. It's impressive.

It's Throwback Thursday Before-Picture Time!
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#TBT Jon Ludtke and Me--Before--two 500 pound guys.

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Jon and his father dropped by the studio this morning on their way out of town

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Bob, Jon and me--Selfie!

Today was nearly eleven hours. It was packed all day long with the radio show, commercial production, a midday board of directors meeting for Arts and Humanities, more production and preparing things so I can be off in the morning. That's right, I get to sleep in! Which is exactly what prompted me to take a small nap a little after 6pm. I was exhausted and felt like if I didn't nap--I might crash before dinner and this blog post. Besides, I'm truly a night owl by heart and if I don't need to be up super early, then I tend to indulge my night owl side. I'll likely not stay up too awful late. But I just might watch an episode or two of AMC's Better Call Saul. The writing on that show, just like Breaking Bad, is some of the best in television history, in my opinion.

I do have location broadcasts tomorrow. One from 3 to 5pm at a car dealer and another from 5:30 to 8pm at a big karaoke finals contest. I'm also a judge at that contest--and that will put me out there until approximately 11pm tomorrow night. I'll be planning well in order to navigate my food tomorrow. Dinner will likely be one of my on-the-go combos of almonds, fruit and cheese. I will have an opportunity to prepare a nice breakfast and lunch at home.

My Tweets Today:








































Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
Princess Health and Boyd, Clark counties approve needle exchanges; Boyd's is a limited, one-for one; Covington's proposed limits draw objections. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Boyd, Clark counties approve needle exchanges; Boyd's is a limited, one-for one; Covington's proposed limits draw objections. Princessiccia

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By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

Clark and Boyd counties are the ninth and 10th Kentucky counties to approve a needle-exchange program, and Madison and Anderson counties are talking about it. Meanwhile, the city of Covington has approved an exchange with conditions that don't match its health department's plan, and one of the conditions might not even be legal.

Needle exchanges were approved under the state's anti-heroin law passed in 2015, and require both local approval and funding. They are meant to slow the spread of HIV and the hepatitis C virus (HCV), which are commonly spread by the sharing of needles among intravenous drug users.

Clark County Health Director Scott Lockard noted that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has "identified 54 counties in Kentucky as being vulnerable to rapid dissemination of HIV or HCV infection among persons who inject drugs. Of the top 25 most vulnerable counties in the nation 16 of them are in our state."

Clark County

On March 23, the Clark County Fiscal Court approved on a 4-2 vote a needle exchange that will start on or before June 1, but the program will need re-authorization in January, Greg Kocher reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader.

"Both the Fiscal Court and the [Winchester] City Commission inserted a sunset clause in the orders requiring the health department to present data on our program in January 2017 in order to get re-authorization for a longer time period," Lockard told Kentucky Health News in an e-mail.

He noted that the CDC identified nearby Wolfe County as the most vulnerable county in the nation to rapid dissemination of HIV and HCV among drug users, with adjoining Powell and Estill counties 15th and 25th, respectively.

"Residents from all three of these counties frequently come to Clark County for medical services from our provider community and the health department," he said. "More must be done in the area of prevention if we are to avoid a situation similar to what Scott County, Indiana, encountered."

That county, about 30 miles north of Louisville, has drawn national attention for its high rates of HIV and hepatitis C, mostly caused by intravenous drug users who share needles. According to published reports, "from November 2014 to mid-June 2015, the Indiana county of 24,200 reported 170 HIV cases. It reported 130 new cases of hepatitis C in 2014," noted Bill Robinson of The Richmond Register.

According to Lockard, Clark County's program will use a patient negotiation model, which does not require a one-to-one needle exchange, during the initial visit, but will try to get close to a one-for-one model on subsequent visits.

"We will educate participants that they need to return needles to get needles," he said.

Boyd County

The Boyd County Fiscal Court voted 4-1 March 15 to approve a one-to-one needle exchange for one year, Lana Bellamy reports for The Daily Independent. 

The Ashland City Commission had already given its approval for the exchange, which may begin as early as July. Bellamy reports that the program will be paid for by special taxing districts, and all of the fiscal court members voiced concerns about the sustainability of the funding.

Ashland-Boyd County Health Department Director Maria Hardy told the court that syringes typically cost about 97 cents each, but the health department will be able to buy needles from a distributor for 9 cents each, Bellamy writes.

The Boyd County program will assign tracking numbers to its participants to protect their identities and allow a maximum of 40 needles to be exchanged each week.

County Commissioner John Greer, the only member to vote against the resolution, said he was concerned the program would encourage drug abuse and Sheriff Bobby Jack Woods agreed, Bellamy reports. This is a common concern among opponents of needle exchange programs, though evidence-based studies have proven otherwise.

Covington

During the same week, the City of Covington approved a needle-exchange program, but with conditions that could kill the program, Terry DeMio reports for The Cincinnati Enquirer.

The conditions are that all participants be tested for hepatitis C, hepatitis B, HIV, and, where applicable, pregnancy. That could be illegal, DeMio reports.

A Northern Kentucky Health Board spokeswoman told DeMio that they believe that they cannot require anyone to undergo any medical procedures, but said they were checking with legal counsel. Other health and harm-reduction officials told DeMio that this requirement is not legal, and that such a condition would likely prevent a program from getting off the ground.

"The Covington commission's resolution includes other conditions that differ from the health board's model program, too, and would require passage from the Kenton County Fiscal Court and the Board of Health before it's approved," DeMio writes.

These conditions include a requirement that two other counties in the Northern Kentucky Health District also adopt a needle-exchange program (only Grant County has); restrict use of the program residents of the district's four counties; and moving the exchange to St. Elizabeth Healthcare hospital.

The city also wants a one-for-one exchange, Michael Monks reports for The River City News.

The health department says its plan is "need-based," not one-for-one, because studies show that is the best way to reduce the risk of community exposure and spread of HIV and HCV. This is the main goal of the program, although needle-exchange programs also provide HIV and HCV testing and access to drug treatment.

The health department's plan is to initially provide clients with the number of syringes they would use in a week, along with a safe container for their return with instruction to return the used needles for new ones. Participants who don't return dirty needles after three trips would not receive new syringes, DeMio reports.

The department has been trying to establish needle-exchange programs in the district since the law passed one year ago. The Kenton County Fiscal Court is expected to discuss a needle exchange plan March 29, DeMio reports.

Dr. Lynne Saddler, the health department's director, told the Enquirer "that the Covington resolution was a start and that more discussion is planned by the health department."

Other counties

Madison County Health Department officials are also worried about becoming another Scott County, Indiana, as they face an epidemic of heroin use in their county, Bill Robinson reports for The Richmond Register.

Thus they have begun the process of educating their public officials, Robinson writes. Public Health Director Nancy Crewe presented her detailed findings to support a needle exchange at a quarterly joint meeting of the county Fiscal Court, Richmond City Commission and Berea City Council, noting that they were just beginning the long process of educating the public.

A needle exchange program was also brought up at the March meeting of the Anderson County Fiscal Court meeting, and was met with some disparaging remarks, Ben Carson reports for The Anderson News.

"What jackass thought of that idea?" asked Magistrate David Montgomery. "We might as well give them the dope, too."

Despite these comments, Montgomery did volunteer to be on a committee to explore a needle exchange program along with members of the health board, Lawrenceburg City Council, law enforcement, EMS and county jailer.

Robinson also reports that the Bourbon County Fiscal Court has voted to reject an exchange.

The other needle exchanges in the state that are either operating or have been approved are in Louisville and Lexington and in the counties of Pendleton, Carter, Elliott, Franklin, Grant, and Jessamine.
Princess Health and Can Salt Increase Calorie Intake?. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Can Salt Increase Calorie Intake?. Princessiccia

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The debate rages on over whether dietary salt (NaCl) increases the risk of cardiovascular events, with no clear answer in sight. Yet few people are paying attention to another, more insidious effect of salt: it may increase our calorie intake, and eventually, the size of our waistlines.

Introduction

Humans are born with specific hard-wired food motivations, which guide us to food properties that kept our ancestors alive and fertile in times past. We have an instinctive attraction to sweetness because, in the world of our ancestors, it indicated ripe fruit or honey-- both important sources of calories and other nutrients. Most of the other food properties we're instinctively drawn to, such as starch, fat, and glutamate, signify high-calorie foods.

Yet one of our hard-wired food motivations stands out from the rest: our attraction to salt. Since salt is calorie-free, salt appetite is one of the few instinctive food drives that doesn't relate directly to acquiring calories. Interestingly, salt is the only essential micronutrient (vitamin/mineral) we can taste at the concentrations normally found in food. Not only our brains, but also our tongues, are hard-wired to seek salt above all other micronutrients.

Read more �

Wednesday, 23 March 2016

Princess Health and March 23rd, 2016 Flame For Change. Princessiccia

Princess Health and March 23rd, 2016 Flame For Change. Princessiccia

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March 23rd, 2016 Flame For Change

I first heard from Jon Ludtke via email over four years ago.

From an email dated: 02/17/2012

"Hello Sean,
Bought your book, loved it. More importantly, thank you for helping me grasp, come to terms with what I need to do, have been wanting to do, and have been putting off the past 20 years.  I have been so over-ready, just not sure how it would officially start.  My name is Jon Ludtke, and today, February 17th is day one for me. On my way to losing 265 lbs and reaching my goal weight of 250.    
I am currently 46 years old, 6'4" and weigh 515."

Jon made an iron-clad decision that day. He grabbed hold of some non-negotiable elements and he decided, come what may--this time would be different from every single time before. This time was HIS time. And he started--and he did the hard work, he's still doing the work, every day. And his consistent success throughout his own personal exploration displays a spirit and determination I admire. He inspires me with his enthusiasm and amazes me with his natural ability for numbers and personal statistics, while always keeping a simple and positive perspective in harmony with his goals.

Jon is very generous with credit to my book and this blog for helping him get started--and I sincerely appreciate that--but he did the work. My book and this blog--and all it represents, isn't enough for anyone. If it provides a spark of inspiration, it's up to the individual to turn that spark into a burning flame for change. The real catalyst for transformation comes from within each of us, individually.  

We stayed in touch via email and even met in October 2014 when Jon invited me out to Vegas for what became a three day exchange of ideas, philosophy, fundamental elements discussion--and all things to do with dramatic transformation--including the less fun, but very important discussion about relapse/regain--and the darkness of that experience. We should have invited more and made it a conference of sorts!

Jon has lost over 200 pounds so far. Combined, we've lost roughly 540 pounds.

Jon and his dad are traveling cross country, headed back to Vegas. And luckily, for us, it didn't take much modifying of the route to bring them through the city I call home. It was a fantastic visit tonight.
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We enjoyed a great meal at Ground Round--with plenty of choices, it was simple to find what worked for each of our food plans. Jon doesn't do grains, beans or legumes--which means, no tacos for Jon! The mere thought of a world without crispy tacos frightens me! In all seriousness, this restaurant choice worked beautifully for both of us. Otherwise, I would have suggested my favorite Mexican place around the corner! Although, I did eat tacos for lunch. As it turned out, we both ordered the baked cod!

Our individual food plans are different in some ways--and the same in others. Jon has fashioned his to nicely fit his preferences and what works for him. This is a critical point. He, like me, eats what he likes and nothing he doesn't! Jon also abstains from added sugar and artificial sweeteners.

What's remarkably similar between us, is our commitment to continuous learning and developing along this road. And we share a sharp understanding of what it means to make an iron-clad decision supported by a set of non-negotiable elements. We both embrace the concept of choosing change before change chooses us! And we both understand that our continued success requires daily actions in support of our goals. Our transformations are never guaranteed. It's one day at a time, every day.

If you get a chance-and you're a member of Spark People, check out Jon's blog-- His username on Spark People is WEWRTFO.

Here's a link to his page: http://www.sparkpeople.com/mypage.asp?id=WEWRTFO

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Jon doesn't do coffee, either. I was like, what??? Really? I can't imagine!! I'm smiling big. What a wonderful visit. Thanks, Jon!
----------------
I headed for the gym immediately after our visit for a great workout. Today was a great day...and it was, even without a nap! That extra sleep last night really worked well. Duly noted!

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Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean
Princess Health and At top legislative Republican's invitation, Democrats embrace Obamacare, or at least Kynect and Beshear's Medicaid expansion. Princessiccia

Princess Health and At top legislative Republican's invitation, Democrats embrace Obamacare, or at least Kynect and Beshear's Medicaid expansion. Princessiccia

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By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News

With a verve for Obamacare most had not publicly demonstrated, state House Democrats passed bills March 22 to preserve the Kynect health insurance exchange and the state's expansion of the federal-state Medicaid program.

The almost entirely party-line votes were a response to Republican Senate President Robert Stivers, who had challenged the House to act on the bills so the public will know where legislators stand on health reform.

The Senate is not expected to pass House Bills 5 and 6, but may use them as a device for debate of an issue on which Republicans seem to think they have had the upper hand. Democrats appear to think otherwise.

"This is a political issue, we all know that," House Speaker Greg Stumbo said. "The president of the Senate wanted to challenge us to talk about it, so I think we ought to talk about it because . . . Kynect is working."

(The debate begins four minutes into the following KET video. The continuation of the debate can be seen here.)

Kynect, where Kentuckians can sign up for Medicaid or buy federally subsidized health insurance, was established under executive order with federal grant money by then-Gov. Steve Beshear, a Democrat. It is paid for by a 1 percent assessment on all insurance policies sold in the state. The fee formerly funded a pool for high-risk insurance, which health reform made unnecessary.

Gov. Matt Bevin and other Republicans say Kynect is not necessary because the federal exchange, used by most states, does the same thing. "We will still be providing Kentuckians with access to care," said Rep. Addia Wuchner, R-Florence. "It will be as easy as going to a different website."

Democrats say using the federal exchange will leave Kentuckians without enough of the assistance needed by people who are unfamiliar with health insurance. More than 400,000 Kentuckians have used Kynect to sign up for Medicaid and about 100,000 have used it to get health insurance, many with the help of Kynect-paid "Kynectors."

Rep. Darryl Owens, D-Louisville, the bills' sponsor, said many people in Kentucky don't have access to the Internet and that many who do are not "tech savvy." He said that a decrease in the number of helpers, who are available to meet clients after hours and at convenient locations, will create additional barriers to access for many Kentuckians.

Rep. Kelly Flood, D-Lexington, told the House about one of her constituents who learned in the middle of a family medical crisis that they had been dropped from Medicaid. Flood said the woman told her she could not "reach that wonderful Kynector who used to tell me what was going on."

The Kynector later told her that "she had been swamped with others like her who wanted to know what was happening to the stability of their health care that they had just secured," Flood said. "It is so much more complicated than just going to a new website. I am wanting us to understand the people whose lives are on the line."

The state, completing a plan put in place by the Beshear administration, recently shifted Medicaid users of Kynect to a new system called Benefind that handles most public-assistance programs.

Emily Beauregard, executive director for Kentucky Voices for Health, told Greg Stotelmyer of Public News Service that the wait times on Benefind are two hours and 6,000 to 7,000 calls are going unanswered each day. Advocates have said that the average wait time on Kynect is two minutes.

Cabinet for Health and Family Services spokesman Doug Hogan told Stotlemyre that there had been "difficulties" with the transition and the cabinet is "working diligently with the contractor to correct problems and make the system perform as was intended."

The House voted on the bills separately but the main debate touched on both Kynect and Beshear's expansion of Medicaid to people with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. The federal government is paying for the expansion until next year, when states will begin paying 5 percent, rising to the law's limit of 10 percent in 2020.

Bevin and other Republicans say that is not sustainable, and he is negotiating with federal officials to change Medicaid to save money and add more personal responsibility, such as premiums, co-payments and deductibles.

Rep. Joni Jenkins, D-Louisville, chair of the House Budget Subcommittee on Human Services, said most Kentuckians who get insurance through Kynect and expanded Medicaid work in low-income jobs and without the program cannot afford insurance.

"With all of this great news -- more people covered, profitable hospitals, more jobs, better health care and wellness -- I believe the evidence is overwhelming that Kentucky must keep Kynect and expanded Medicaid," Jenkins said.

At times the debate was more about federal health reform in general than about the specifics of Kynect or Medicaid expansion.

Rep. Jim Gooch, a Providence insurance agent who recently became a Republican, said many Kentuckians have been helped by Obamacare, others have been hurt. He said many can't afford their co-payments and deductibles, and he said President Obama lied when he said people could keep their old health plans and doctors if they wanted after the reform law passed in 2010.

Another insurance agent, Rep. Jeff Greer, D-Brandenburg, argued the other side. He said the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act had brought many people their first affordable health insurance, especially those with pre-existing conditions, and relieved many farmers of the need to to work another job to get insurance.

"What I see is that we have something that is working, and I'm in a field where I see it work and yet we want to dismantle it and go to something that we're not sure is gong to work or not, Greer said. "I just don't get it."

House Minority Leader Jeff Hoover, R-Jamestown, said using the federal exchange "will not cause a single policy to be canceled or a single person to lose coverage." He said 36 other states now use the federal exchange "seamlessly."

Hoover and other Republicans said the debate was overdue, referring to Beshear's executive actions that the legislature was unable to block.

The Kynect bill passed 52-46, followed by a 54-44 vote for the Medicaid expansion, with Republican Reps. Jim DuPlessis of Elizabethtown and Jim Stewart of Flat Lick joining the Democrats. Reps. Gerald Watkins, D-Paducah, and David Floyd, R-Bardstown, did not vote on either bill.

All House seats are on the November ballot. House Democratic Caucus Chair and state party Chair Sannie Overly was asked how a vote for Obamacare might affect the election. "I think that House Bill 5 and 6 are simply a message to others that we stand by our commitment to providing access to healthcare to all Kentuckians," she said. "We've seen that our constituents support making sure that their friends and neighbors and relatives have access to health care."

To the same question, Rep. Robert Benvenuti, R-Lexington, said, "I think the voters have already thoughtfully evaluated that and cast a strong vote for Gov. Bevin, so I do think it will come up again in these November elections."
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