Medicaid in Kentucky was a topic of discussion for state legislators at a meeting of the Interim Joint Committee on Appropriations and Revenue as they look to provide more oversight of that program.
Representative Jason Petrie of Elkton chairs that committee and has pre-filed legislation that the Kentucky General Assembly will consider in it’s 2025 short session. His bill is similar to one that was filed in the 2024 session that would establish the Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board, to be comprised of 12 legislators and 14 non-legislative members. Those members would review, analyze, and evaluate program data, ultimately making recommendations for potential policy changes.
Lisa Michener is with the Department for Medicaid Services and she highlighted some facts about Medicaid in Kentucky, including the fact that 1.4 million are currently enrolled in Medicaid—and over 600,000 of them are children.
She says they receive a good bulk of funding for Medicaid from the federal government, but the state does still foot the bill for 30 percent of the costs—and that’s a hefty dollar figure.
Representative Petrie says the oversight and advisory board would be required to publish annual reports based on program evaluations, actuarial analyses, and health assessments.
In Kentucky, Medicaid is largely managed through private insurance companies under managed care. The General Assembly is set to convene in Frankfort on January 7.