Kentucky governor says he'll end Medicaid benefits for 400,000 if court blocks work requirements

Gov. Matt Bevin says he will end Medicaid benefits for more than 400,000 Kentuckians if the courts stop him from requiring many of them to work.

Kentucky was among 32 states that expanded Medicaid under President Barack Obama's health care law, and many more people signed up than forecast. The program now covers more than a quarter of the state's population. Federal spending covers almost all the cost of the expanded program. But the state's share is poised to grow and Bevin, a Republican who took office after the expansion, says Kentucky can't afford to maintain it without changes.

Bevin's solution, approved by the Trump administration on Friday, is to impose work requirements for many of these Medicaid recipients. It's the first time the federal government has allowed a state to make having a job or volunteering for community service a requirement for receiving government-funded health insurance.

Some health advocacy groups question the legality of such requirements. No lawsuits have been filed yet, but Bevin indicated he expects challenges. And in an executive order filed Friday but not made public until Tuesday, he directed his administration to end the state's Medicaid benefits for the more than 400,000 people in the expansion if the courts strike down any part of his plan.

Read more: http://www.courant.com/nation-world/ct-kentucky-governor-medicaid-20180116-story.html