House Bill 2 has made it to the House of Representatives in Frankfort, and it would bring with it several changes to Medicaid coverage in the Commonwealth.
One of those changes would establish what the bill sponsors call “program integrity reforms”, including requiring six-month eligibility redeterminations ahead of the federal deadline, which would align Kentucky policy to the policy set down in H.R.1, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill.
Applications for Medicaid waive programs would be sorted based on the applicants’ needs and the seriousness of them. HB2 would also raise co-pay costs for those who utilize Medicaid, and Representative Pamela Stevenson was in opposition of this bill, saying folks can’t afford that additional cost.
Other provisions of the bill include that, starting January 1, Medicaid waivers would be tiered by priority based on an applicant’s risk of hospitalization if they don’t get the waiver services, physical or cognitive impairment, health and safety risks and other factors.
Those who oppose the six-month eligibility requires says it bogs the process down with paperwork and red tape, slowing patients down with bureaucracy rather than the healthcare they need. Those in favor of the changes says the Medicaid cost in the Kentucky has quadrupled over the years, and something must be done to address that raging cost.
The bill is set to go before the House for consideration this week.