Kentucky offers expanded Medicaid health coverage for adults

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has announced plans to extend Medicaid coverage for dental, vision and hearing care to hundreds of thousands of adults.

He says the initiative removes some health obstacles keeping people from working. He says the expansion will cover about 900,000 adults enrolled in Medicaid. They'll be eligible for the extended benefits starting Jan. 1, 2023, with no special enrollment period needed.

Beshear linked health to workforce participation when unveiling the initiative Thursday. He says the federal government will pay for the “vast majority” of the expanded care. He says the state’s Medicaid budget can absorb the rest.