Ky. cuts Medicaid dental benefits for 460K residents

The administration of Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) has eliminated Medicaid dental and vision coverage for up to 460,000 residents of that state, according to multiple published reports.

The coverage cut occurred after a judge in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia rejected Gov. Bevin's proposed overhaul of that state's Medicaid program on June 29. The overhaul would have included an imposition of work requirements and other changes for residents to receive Medicaid benefits.

The proposed changes, called Kentucky HEALTH, did not take into account a central objective of the Medicaid program, to help provide assistance, noted Justice James Boasberg in his memorandum opinion.

"Such review reveals that the secretary never adequately considered whether Kentucky HEALTH would in fact help the state furnish medical assistance to its citizens, a central objective of Medicaid," Boasberg wrote.