Kentucky

Will Kentucky have Medicaid work requirements? What the state is planning under new law

Published

7 months ago

May 16, 2025

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Will Kentucky have Medicaid work requirements? What the state is planning under new law

Kentucky plans to implement new Medicaid work requirements for certain “able-bodied” adults.
The program aims to connect recipients with job placement assistance, education, and training.
Approximately 75,000 Medicaid expansion recipients are estimated to be affected.
The state anticipates $184 million in Medicaid savings over five years.

Kentucky officials laid out how they plan to enact new Medicaid requirements in a public notice published May 13.

According to the notice, the state’s Department for Medicaid Services is seeking federal approval to implement a community engagement waiver program, with the goal of supporting “individuals in gaining economic stability” by connecting them to educational and job assistance programs.

The request comes after the Kentucky General Assembly passed a bill during the 2025 legislative session that requires some “able-bodied adults” to participate in such a program, after being approved and established by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services.

It also comes amid discussion of work requirements for Medicaid recipients nationally, with House Republicans proposing changes to the program as they attempt to reduce billions in spending.

Here’s what to know about the state’s proposal.

Who would be required to participate in Kentucky’s community engagement waiver program?

According to the public notice, the program would apply to adults in the state’s Medicaid expansion, who have been enrolled for more than 12 months and:

Are between 19 and 60 years old;
Are physically and mentally able to work, as defined by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services;
Are not primarily responsible for the care of a dependent child or disabled adult relative.

Who could be exempt from Kentucky’s program?

The notice states the Department for Medicaid Services will review members for possible exemptions and will not require participation for those who meet one or more criteria, including:

People with diagnosed substance use disorder or serious mental illness;
People with a chronic disease or acute medical condition that prevents them from complying with requirements;
People who have been deemed disabled;
People with verified earned income or who receive unemployment insurance;
Pregnant women;
People who are victims of domestic violence;
People who are homeless or were recently homeless;
People who have recently been impacted by a catastrophic event, such as a natural disaster or death of a family member in their household;
Former foster youth up to age 26.

How will Kentucky’s community engagement waiver program work?

Under the proposal, the Department for Medicaid Services will refer eligible adults to the Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet’s Department of Workforce Development.

That department will then reach out to members with available job placement assistance programs.

“For individuals who agree to receive support, DWD will connect them with supports such as apprenticeships, career development, education, employment and training, and will provide support in preparing them to enter the workforce, advance their careers, improve job performance, and fill skills gaps,” the notice states.

How many people are expected to be eligible for the program?

The public notice estimates around 75,000 people will be “subject to the requirements of this waiver.”

About 488,000 people were covered by Kentucky’s Medicaid expansion as of 2024, according to federal data.

Officials expect “a minimal impact to enrollment” as recipients “are able to identify gainful employment through the community engagement process and therefore are no longer eligible for Medicaid,” the notice states.

How could the program effect spending on Medicaid?

Kentucky officials expect to spend less on Medicaid as expansion recipients gain employment through the community engagement waiver program.

According to the notice, the state expects to spend $184 million less over five years than it would without the program.

Why is Kentucky seeking a community engagement waiver program?

Earlier this year, lawmakers passed House Bill 695, which made sweeping changes to the state’s Medicaid program.

That included the controversial requirement for able-bodied adults to participate in a community engagement waiver program, including potentially requiring recipients to work 20 hours per week.

The bill drew widespread support from Republicans and criticism from Democrats. Critics of work requirements say they’re “another way to cut coverage,” while supporters say it “demands that those who can put forth the effort do.”

A similar measure was previously introduced by former Gov. Matt Bevin in 2018, which would have required able-bodied adults to work or volunteer at least 20 hours a week or facing losing health coverage. That decision drew a lawsuit from health law advocates, and Bevin’s proposal was eventually blocked by a federal judge.

How can Kentuckians have input in the program?

The Department for Medicaid Services will hold two public forums on the program, one virtually and another in person.

The virtual forum will take place at 10 a.m. May 22. Find information for the call in the public notice at chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dms/Pages/Medicaid-SUD-1115-Waiver.aspx.

An in-person forum will take place at 10 a.m. May 23 at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet auditorium at 200 Mero St. in Frankfort.

Public comments can also be submitted by June 12 by email to KY1115CommEngagement@mslc.com or by mail to Kentucky Medicaid Section 1115 Comment, c/o DMS Commissioner’s Office, 275 E. Main St. 6W-A, Frankfort, KY 40621.

Reach reporter Hannah Pinski at hpinski@courier-journal.com or follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @hannahpinski.

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Kentucky

No. 12/13 Kentucky Tops Wright State on Friday

Published

9 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

No. 12/13 Kentucky Tops Wright State on Friday

Clara Strack scored 26 points and grabbed seven rebounds as No. 12/13 Kentucky thumped Wright State 96-53 on Friday night inside Historic Memorial Coliseum.

Three other Cats also scored in double figures. Tonie Morgan had 18 points, six rebounds and six assists. Freshman Kaelyn Carroll made six threes on her way to a career-high 18 points. Asia Boone hit five threes en route to a 17-point night.

Wright State scored first on a three, but Kentucky got baskets from Strack and Morgan to lead 4-3. After WSU scored, Amelia Hassett drained a three and the Cats led 7-5. Wright State tied the game at 7-7 before Morgan and Strack scored to give UK an 11-7 lead. However, Wright State scored the next four to tie the game again.

Strack made two free throws, and Morgan made one, to give the Cats a three-point lead. A Boone three extended the lead to 17-11. Strack scored two more buckets and the Cats had a double-digit advantage. A Morgan three-point play capped the 13-0 run that gave UK a 24-11 lead. Kentucky would lead 31-13 after one quarter.

Wright State opened the second quarter with an 11-4 run to cut the Kentucky lead to 35-24. However, the Cats responded in a big way. Threes from Josie Gilvin and Boone gave UK a 17-point lead. A Morgan layup, two Strack free throws, and threes from Strack and Carroll (three times) compiled a 22-0 run that ended the half. Kentucky led 57-24 at the break and Strack led all scorers with 18 in the first 20 minutes.

In the third quarter, WSU scored first on a free throw but a Strack basket gave the Cats a 59-25 lead. After three Wright State points, UK got layups from Morgan and Jordan Obi to lead 63-28. After a Raiders’ three, Kentucky went on an 11-4 run, sparked by another three from Carroll, to lead 74-35. The Cats would lead 74-37 after three quarters.

Kentucky scored first in the final stanza on a Strack basket. After WSU scored twice, Carroll hit another three to make it 79-41. Kentucky would build the lead to as many as 46 (96-50) before settling for the 43-point victory.

The Cats now take a break for the holidays before hosting Hofstra on December 28. Tipoff for that game is set for 2 p.m. ET and the game can be seen on SEC Network Plus.

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Kentucky

Kentucky will have Flexible Recruiting Operation in New Territories

Published

22 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Kentucky will have Flexible Recruiting Operation in New Territories

Will Stein‘s play-calling mantra is simple: Feed the Studs. It only works if you have studs. Kentucky must acquire talent to be competitive. It starts in the upcoming transfer portal, but there are long-term deficits that must be remedied by high school recruiting. Stein is building a staff that has cut its teeth on the trail.

One of the first things we learned about Joe Price, the new Kentucky wide receivers coach, is that he is known in the Lone Star State as East Side Joe. That is a reference to his hometown of Houston, a talent hotbed in the state of Texas. Safeties coach Josh Christian-Young just spent a couple of years at Houston after four years in New Orleans at Tulane.

New offensive line coach Cutter Leftwich first called Denton, Texas, home. He played college football in Louisiana at McNeese State, and spent time coaching at UTSA and North Texas. Kentucky’s two new coordinators each cultivated reputations as excellent recruiters and are coming to Lexington via the state of Texas and Louisiana.

Are you picking up the geographical theme yet?

Texas and Louisiana produce some of the most talented football players in America, not only in terms of quality, but quantity. In the 2025 On300 rankings, Texas led the way with 42 players, while Louisiana contributed a dozen, tied for the sixth-most. The issue is that Kentucky hasn’t gotten a lot of those players over the years. Might a tide finally be turning?

Sloan has Adaptable Recruiting Pitch

Within his first 24 hours on the job, Joe Sloan flipped four-star wide receiver Kenny Darby from LSU to Kentucky. Sloan’s connections in the state of Louisiana quickly paid dividends. He cultivated those connections for more than a decade in the Boot, but those weren’t always there for the former East Carolina quarterback from Virginia.

“I was 26 years old when Skip Holtz hired me at Louisiana Tech, and I had never been to Louisiana. He said, ‘Hey, what do you think about recruiting Baton Rouge?’ I said, ‘All right, that sounds good to me,’” Sloan recalled on Wednesday.

“He gave me, it was really nice a Crown Vic. The first one, it was a light baby blue. The second one was red, cherry red. It was nice; rolled down there and we started just developing relationships.”

You can expect Stein’s staff to lean on prior relationships to bring players to Kentucky. Jay Bateman has plenty of those in the DMV, the same region where the Wildcats recruited Josh Paschal. However, Kentucky can’t just rely on Texas, Louisiana, and the DMV to build a roster. Sloan believes this staff has the tools to adapt and find the best players from near and far to suit up in Kentucky blue.

“Recruiting it’s a people business. Coaches, mentors, and family members, they want to know that you have a plan for their son, on and off the field, to develop them to their fullest potential. What I look forward to is the opportunity to develop relationships right in all the areas that we’re going to recruit. I think that’s what it’s going to be,” said Sloan.

“That’s what it’s about, having open doors, answering the phone, creating relationships, and developing a trust with the people around the players that we’re going to recruit, that we’re going to take care of those young men. That’s what I’m going to do, that’s what I’ll continue to do, and that’s what we’ll do here at Kentucky as an entire program. So in terms of, I don’t know that it’s just one area, it’s more about the ability to develop those relationships and the excitement to do that, and I’m fired up.”

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Kentucky

Kentucky outlasts Wisconsin 3-2 in five-set thriller

Published

1 day ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

Kentucky outlasts Wisconsin 3-2 in five-set thriller

No. 1 Kentucky outlasted No. 3 Wisconsin 3-2 in the five-set thriller to earn a trip the the NCAA national championship. The Wildcats clinch their first national final appearance since winning the title in the Spring of 2021 and second in program history.

In front of a sold-out T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, MO., Big Blue rallied in a dramatic fashion after a devastating 25-12 loss in Set 1. Kentucky was able to punch back in Set 2, earning the 25-22 victory before dropping the next set 25-21 to the Badgers.

With their backs against the wall, the Cats fought off a rallying Wisconsin team for the 26-24 Set 4 victory to push the match to five.

With momentum on their side, Kentucky took back what it lost in the first and fired on all cylinders in the fifth. The Cats raced out to a 6-1 lead early in the fifth before clinching the 15-13 win, hitting a match-best .409.

Outside Eva Hudson powered 29 kills on .455 hitting with seven digs, two blocks and a service ace to power the Kentucky winm while Brooklyn DeLeye tallied 15. The Big Blue defense made the difference, registering eight big-time blocks against a career-night by Wisconsin’s Mimi Colyer.

With the Wildcat win, Kentucky clinches a spot in the national championship to face No. 3 Texas A&M for the first ever all-SEC final in NCAA women’s volleyball history.

KENTUCKY TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER A FIVE-SET THRILLER 😱#NCAAWVB x 🎥 ESPN / @KentuckyVB pic.twitter.com/RJNIv2eumg
— NCAA Women’s Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) December 19, 2025