Kentucky Cuts Dental and Vision Coverage For Their Poorest

Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin cut dental and vision coverage for over 500,000 Medicaid recipients after a Judge halted a Medicaid overhaul previously approved by the Trump administration in January.^[1]

Essentially Bevin wanted to include work requirements and put other stipulations on Medicaid (see this article for details), something the Republicans and the Trump administration both favor. However, US District Judge James Boasberg voided the federal approval and thus the matter went back to the Department of Health and Human Services for further review.

Bevin, upset with the Judges’ judgement, retaliated by cutting vision and dental coverage of low-income Kentuckians (his reasoning being the boiler plate Republican argument that the state can’t afford their share of Medicaid costs).

Thus, Kentucky’s poorest got dealt a double blow, on one hand they won’t be able to jump through hoops to earn credits toward vision and dental coverage, and on the other hand they won’t have vision and dental coverage either.

It is possible either of the decisions will be reversed.

NOTE: This may seem drastic if you support things like vision and dental coverage for our poorest, however it is worth noting that many states don’t provide vision and dental coverage, so Bevin is hardly alone on this one. Also, due credit where it is due, unlike many other Republican led states Kentucky does aim to provide Medicaid benefits to their poorest.

1. Kentucky cuts dental, vision coverage for nearly 500,000 Medicaid recipients. CNN.com.