Medicaid Coverage

Medicaid. It's more than just a health care coverage program, it's a lifeline for millions of Americans. In this video, we'll explore Medicaid and who is eligible.

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Simply put, Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that provides free or low-cost health care coverage to qualified individuals and families with low incomes. This includes children, pregnant women, older people, and people with disabilities.

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Medicaid is the biggest public health insurance program in the country. It helps pay for a wide range of healthcare needs, like going to the doctor, hospital stays, prescription medications, and preventive care. It also provides long-term medical care for people with disabilities and chronic conditions.

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Many states, including Kentucky, expanded their Medicaid programs as part of the Affordable Care Act, extending coverage to more low-income individuals and families, including adults without dependent children, who may not have previously qualified. As a result of Medicaid expansion, non-pregnant adult Kentuckians earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level now qualify for Medicaid coverage. Pregnant persons with incomes up to 200% FPL qualify for Kentucky Medicaid.

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With the COVID-19 pandemic, there were further changes affecting the Medicaid program in Kentucky and nationally. Early in the pandemic, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which allowed people who qualified for Medicaid to remain covered without undergoing the yearly renewal process.  However, with the end of the federal COVID-19 public health emergency, Congress ended the continuous enrollment policy on March 31, 2023. As of September 2024, more than 25 million people nationally had lost their Medicaid coverage, including approximately 240,000 Kentuckians.

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Additionally, programs such as the Kentucky Children's Health Insurance Program, or KCHIP, continue to provide crucial support for uninsured children. Through KCHIP, otherwise uninsured children in Kentucky aged 19 and under can receive health care services, including doctor visits, immunizations, dental care, prescription medications, and more. Uninsured children whose households have an annual income of up to 218% of the Federal Poverty Level are eligible for KCHIP.

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Medicaid is a vital safety net that provides healthcare coverage to millions of Americans, allowing vulnerable populations to obtain critical health care services.