Changes could be coming to Medicaid in Kentucky.

Today, the Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board discussed the Medicaid Reform Act, or House Bill two.

It's already passed one chamber.

As Mackenzie Spink reports, the bill includes stricter reporting requirements and higher co-pays.

That begins tonight's legislative update.

Moab co-chair and sponsor of House Bill two, Representative Ken Fleming, gave a preview of some of the changes we can expect to see as the bill moves through the Senate.

Currently, the bill says the new timeline for determining Medicaid status starts on July 1st of this year, but he intends for that to be pushed back.

If that were to held true, then according to the letter, we had to notify folks or DMs.

I don't know if our folks of the 90 days.

Well, that's two weeks.

We want to be changing that from July 1st 26 to, one one of 27.

Concerns about the redetermination process arose.

Citizen member Doctor Sheila Schuster supports a more streamlined self-declaration document, as opposed to submitting multiple forms of verification.

I think when you ask for a whole range of verifying documents, you're going to get some discrepancy.

And as soon as there's a discrepancy, the person is stuck.

Chair Fleming says the state secretary of the Health and Family Services cabinet can make exceptions for those who experience hardships with reporting, and there is an appeals process available under House Bill two.

There would be a $20 copay to see a specialist and an $8 copay for going to the emergency room for non-emergency services.

Some board members say the cost of collecting those co-pays won't benefit providers.

It wasn't that long ago, because I haven't been here that long, that we actually voted to take these away because they weren't cost effective, because they actually cost the system money trying to collect it.

I really would prefer we try to minimize that amount as much as possible, and I'm suggesting maybe $5 to show that we've made this a token effort to do something.

But again, my concern is this financial burden is going to fall disproportionately on rural providers, small providers.

Chair Fleming says he hopes the copays will redirect patients towards primary care providers, a service with no cost for Medicaid members.

If you look at a report that comes from the, macOS, when it comes to individuals utilizing a emergency room for non-emergency services, you have, a significant amount of money to the tune, around $90 million a year.

Melissa Newland is a medicaid member with several chronic illnesses.

She says the new co-pays for specialists could cause Kentuckians to skip out on essential health care.

Medicaid is the only way I can stay healthy enough to keep working.

We are already facing skyrocketing electric bills and inflated food prices.

So for someone with my list of specialists, $20 co-pays can add up fast.

Cost shifting co-pays beyond the federal minimum for low income Kentuckians would not encourage personal responsibility.

It will force us to choose between the needs of our family over our own health.

Health advocates also asked the board to consider moving the start date for the new copays to October 2028, which is the federal guideline currently.

House Bill two would implement the new co-pays at the start of 2027.

For Kentucky edition, I'm Mackenzie Spink.

It is hope to have this bill.

Representative Fleming says he also plans a change to House Bill two that will lower the unemployment rates that trigger work requirement.

Ravers waivers in applicable counties to the lower federal minimum.