LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – The Kentucky General Assembly has passed House Bill 2, updating the state’s Medicaid program to align with new federal law.
Under the legislation, some adults enrolled in Medicaid will be required to meet community engagement requirements to maintain coverage. The law also establishes co-payments for certain medical services.
Who is affected
The requirements apply to adults between the ages of 19 and 64. State officials said those affected will need to report qualifying work, education or community service activities to remain eligible for coverage.
Several groups are exempt from the requirements, including people who are pregnant or in the postpartum period, those with disabilities or who are medically frail, parents or caregivers of children younger than 14, people enrolled in Medicare, and members of federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native tribes.
What enrollees should do now
The application and reporting sites are currently being finalized, but officials are encouraging enrollees to begin preparing.
“They are going to have to show that they are either working, going to school, or doing some other activity — or otherwise eligible for an exemption,” said Dustin Pugel of the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy.
Pugel said enrollees should pay close attention to communications from the state Medicaid office in the coming months.
“What I would tell people is don’t ignore those letters,” Pugel said. “A lot of what is going to happen over the next six months is getting ready for this reporting process. The more you can read and respond to what the Department for Medicaid is sharing out, the better prepared you will be to report work or exemptions.”
Officials are also reminding enrollees to stay up to date with information from Medicaid to determine whether the program affects them.
Co-payment amounts
Under the new law, co-payments for medical services are set at $5. Prescription co-payments are set at $1. The changes are in place to match federal requirements.
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