New rules for Ky. Medicaid re-approved
Associated Press
FRANKFORT, Ky.
The Trump administration has again approved new rules for some of Kentucky’s Medicaid population, requiring them to either get a job, volunteer in the community or go to school to keep their government-funded health coverage.
The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services announced the approval on Tuesday, nearly five months after a federal judge blocked the state’s first attempt. State officials say the new rules can begin as soon as April 1 and will be phased in regionally over several months. They will require adults ages 19 to 64, with some exceptions, to complete at least 80 hours per month of “community engagement” to keep their health benefits. That includes getting a job, looking for a job, going to school, volunteering for community service or taking a job training course.
Kentucky is one of 37 states that has expanded its government-funded health insurance program to include low-income adults with no children and no disabilities. More than 400,000 people signed up for the program, dramatically dropping the state’s uninsured rate and propping up some rural hospitals who depend on the revenue.
But Republican Gov. Matt Bevin has criticized the program, saying it is too expensive and does not make Kentucky’s citizens healthier as the state is still behind most of the country in some key health indicators.
Bevin proposed requiring some Medicaid recipients to take action to keep their benefits. In January, Kentucky became the first state ever to win federal approval for such a plan. But in June, a federal judge blocked it, ruling the government did not adequately consider how the plan would impact people who receive coverage.
The judge’s ruling re-started the application process, which was completed Tuesday. It’s possible the program could wind up in court again.