Beneficiaries who would have been subject to work requirements under Kentucky's waiver are the ones affected by the loss in coverage.
Kentucky residents who gained coverage for dental and vision care under Medicaid expansion lost it Sunday after a judge decided to block changes to the commonwealth's program.
The judge found the federal government's approval of Kentucky's waiver request, which included work requirements for some beneficiaries, to be "arbitrary and capricious." So he halted implementation of the changes and sent the matter back to Health and Human Services for further review.
Related: Judge Blocks Kentucky's Medicaid Work Requirements
The beneficiaries who would have been subject to those work requirements, including able-bodied adults without dependents, would have had access to dental and vision coverage only through earning dollars in a "My Rewards" account, as WFPL Health and Innovation Reporter Lisa Gillespie reported Sunday.
A spokesperson for the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services told WFPL that the court's decision invalidated the "My Rewards" program, leaving no legal mechanism to fund the coverage for about 460,000 people on the alternative benefit plan.
Kentucky reassured Medicaid beneficiaries that they will continue to have medical benefits despite the judge's ruling.
"However, if you received a notice saying you could access vision and dental services through a My Rewards Account, you will not have access to dental and vision benefits," a notice on the Kentucky HEALTH website states. "The legal decision has stopped the ability to use the My Rewards dollars in order to purchase dental and vision services."
The loss in dental and vision coverage does not affect kids, pregnant women, medically frail beneficiaries, former foster care recipients up to age 26, and those who received Medicaid coverage before expansion, as WFPL reported.
Kentucky Gov. Matt Begin has threatened to abandon Medicaid expansion entirely if any part of his waiver request for the program is blocked. An appeal is expected.
Steven Porter is an associate content manager and Strategy editor for HealthLeaders, a Simplify Compliance brand.