# Senate panel approves Kentucky Medicaid overhaul bill  
**Published:** 2026-03-31T00:00:00.000Z  
**Source:** [KY Legislative Research Commission](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/publicservices/pio/release.html#HB2-033126)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/senate-panel-approves-kentucky-medicaid-overhaul-bill

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The [Senate Health Services Committee on Tuesday unanimously advanced an amended House Bill 2](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/publicservices/pio/release.html#HB2-033126) designed to overhaul Kentucky's Medicaid program, bringing state law into alignment with new federal requirements.

The legislation aims to implement the [One Big Beautiful Bill Act](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text), which Congress passed last year, along with recommendations from the state Medicaid Oversight and Advisory Board. [The bill makes substantial changes to Kentucky's Medicaid program](https://healthy-ky.org/2026-ky-legislative-session) with broad goals including enhancing transparency, streamlining operations and delivery, strengthening oversight and accountability, and reducing fraud.

Rep. Ken Fleming, R-Louisville, is sponsoring the measure. Sen. Julie Raque Adams, R-Louisville, and Sen. Craig Richardson, R-Hopkinsville, testified about the latest changes during Tuesday's meeting. Richardson said the bill will allow Kentucky to approach Medicaid with transparency while maintaining integrity and allowing flexibility with federal guidelines.

Significant amendments approved Tuesday included extending the deadline for implementing cost-sharing to align with federal requirements and reducing some cost-sharing dollar amounts. The updated bill also removes language that would have limited state officials from requesting waivers on community engagement requirements for high-unemployment counties, and allows self-attestation as a last resort to eliminate due process concerns.

Sen. Stephen Meredith, R-Leitchfield, committee chair, described the bill as a "Herculean effort." He cautioned that lawmakers will likely revisit the legislation in the future. "This is a work in progress, will be probably for a couple, three years," Meredith said.

[Kentucky's Medicaid program has grown dramatically since expansion in 2014, with enrollment rising to over 1.6 million people by early 2023, nearly 37 percent of all state residents](https://www.healthinsurance.org/medicaid/kentucky/). Sen. Julie Raque Adams emphasized the urgency of reform. "We know that this program has exploded. We know that we need to figure out better ways to make this program more efficient so that it's there for the long term for those who need it most," she said.

Democrats on the committee expressed cautious optimism about the changes. Sen. Karen Berg, D-Louisville, praised modifications reducing barriers, though she expressed concerns about provisions requiring recertification for recipients. Sen. Keturah J. Herron, D-Louisville, acknowledged Medicaid as "probably one of the largest, most complicated issues" the legislature tackles and thanked committee members for their collaborative approach.

## Sources

- [KY Legislative Research Commission](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/publicservices/pio/release.html#HB2-033126)
- [Congressional text of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1)](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1/text)
- [Health Insurance.org overview of Kentucky Medicaid enrollment and expansion statistics](https://www.healthinsurance.org/medicaid/kentucky/)
- [Healthy Kentucky analysis of 2026 legislative session including HB 2 overview](https://healthy-ky.org/2026-ky-legislative-session)

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This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from KY Legislative Research Commission, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/publicservices/pio/release.html#HB2-033126.