Federal judge strikes down Kentucky's Medicaid work rules

By John Cheves And Jack Brammer

June 29, 2018 03:56 PM

Updated June 29, 2018 06:30 PM

A federal judge in Washington D.C. struck down Kentucky's plan to require some Medicaid recipients to work or volunteer in order to continue receiving benefits.

The Friday ruling blocks Gov. Matt Bevin's administration from implementing an overhaul of the health insurance program for the poor and disabled, which was scheduled to start Sunday in one Northern Kentucky county and extend to most of the state by the end of the year.

Sixteen Kentucky Medicaid recipients sued the federal government in January to block Bevin's planned changes to the state's Medicaid program. The plaintiffs claim that Bevin's plan — known as Kentucky HEALTH — should not have been approved; they say it violates the 1965 law establishing Medicaid because it will reduce poor people's access to health care..

Simultaneously, to uphold Kentucky HEALTH, Bevin is suing those same 16 Medicaid recipients in Frankfort before U.S. District Judge Gregory VanTatenhove.

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