Kentucky among 6 states with 2022 Medicaid Innovation Award

Dept. for Medicaid Services graphic

Kentucky’s Medicaid program has received a national award for enrollment innovations it implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Medicaid Innovation Award from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Academy for State Health Policy recognizes states for demonstrating creativity, leadership and progress in their programs despite significant public health challenges in recent years.

“We are honored to be one of only six states to receive this recognition,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a news release. “Team Kentucky is committed to continuing this progress to make our commonwealth a better place for our people to live full, healthy lives for generations to come.”

The public-health emergency Beshear declared in March 2020 made the Department for Medicaid Services change how it enrolled its participants. That included the implementation of a fast track to Medicaid enrollment and eligibility. This expedited application process allowed screeners to identify if applicants were also eligible for other types of help, such as food assistance

“In the early days of the pandemic, hundreds of thousands of working Kentuckians suddenly lost their employer-sponsored health insurance," Emily Beauregard, executive director of Kentucky Voices for Health, said in the release. "When faced with an unprecedented public-health crisis, Medicaid leaders pivoted quickly to provide temporary coverage through Medicaid presumptive eligibility. Their innovative approach to outreach and enrollment saved lives and provided the financial security workers and families needed to get back on their feet. It's an essential part of our safety-net that is there to catch us when we least expect we'll need it."

A release from the foundation says the state won its Enrollment Innovations category because "Kentucky implemented a range of measures during the Covid-19 pandemic to simplify Medicaid enrollment and increase access to coverage including targeted, data-driven marketing and outreach; a simplified application; and coordination with other state agencies."

“We are so pleased to recognize state Medicaid programs that have creatively addressed significant challenges over the past few years to meet the needs of their residents,” Hemi Tewarson, executive director at the National Academy for State Health Policy, said in the release. “We hope these state efforts can provide ideas and inspiration for other states.”

Other states honored at the academy's annual conference in Seattle were Arizona, California, North Carolina, Minnesota and West Virginia.

Kentucky Medicaid covers more than 1.6 million people, more than half of them children covered under Medicaid or the Kentucky Children’s Health Plan. Approximately 625,000 Kentuckians are covered under Medicaid expansion under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010 and implemented in 2014.