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Commentary: Medicaid expansion was a big success in Kentucky. I know. I was governor.

Related Topics: Kentucky, Governor, Medicaid, Utah

My second term as Kentucky’s governor ended almost three years ago, yet strangers still thank me for saving their lives.

These Kentuckians don’t want to talk politics. They just want to tell me how access to health coverage gave their families hope and the opportunity for good health for the first time. Many of them give me a hug. And many of them wind up crying.

As Utah voters weigh their vote on Proposition 3, they need to understand what happened in Kentucky after I expanded Medicaid in 2013.

Many politicians – including Kentucky’s current governor – see this as a political game.