Kentucky officials have announced they will delay the Oct. 1 start of a statewide Medicaid managed-care system for the government health plan to have more time to negotiate with Kentucky hospitals.

Janie Miller, secretary for Health and Family Services — who assured lawmakers last month the state was prepared to launch the new plan by Oct. 1 — said in a news release her cabinet will delay the sweeping changes until Nov. 1, at the request of the Kentucky Hospital Association.

“The hospitals have told us they need one more month to prepare and this complies with their request,” Miller said.

The managed care plan — to be operated by three outside companies — was debated in a contentious special legislative session earlier this year and is Gov. Steve Beshear’s solution to a budget shortfall in the $6 billion a year program that serves 820,000 Kentuckians.

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