Kentucky Medicaid Members Begin Getting Notices About 2027 Community-Engagement Rules

Kentucky Medicaid has begun notifying some members about community-engagement rules that may affect eligibility in 2027. The first notice does not end coverage, require an immediate report or mean every adult Medicaid member will have to meet the new standard.

The Kentucky Department for Medicaid Services began mailing the outreach notices on July 1, 2026. The state may also use text messages or email. Additional notices are planned before affected members reach their 2027 renewal dates.

What changes in 2027

Beginning Jan. 1, 2027, some adults ages 19 to 64 will need to meet a work or community-engagement requirement to apply for or keep Medicaid coverage. The requirement applies to people who qualify for Medicaid based only on income through Medicaid expansion and who are not exempt.

People applying for Medicaid on or after Jan. 1, 2027, who are subject to the rule must show that they met the requirement in the month before applying. Current members will report their activity when they renew coverage in 2027.

For current members, Kentucky’s guidance says they must show qualifying activity for at least three of the six months before the renewal date. The months do not have to be consecutive. For example, a person with a February 2027 renewal would generally document activity in at least three months between August 2026 and February 2027.

The rule does not automatically apply to every adult ages 19 through 64 or to every person enrolled in Medicaid. Traditional Medicaid members are not subject to this particular requirement.

Activities that can count

State guidance lists work, job training, work programs, volunteering, community service and qualifying education among the activities that may satisfy the standard. Members may combine qualifying activities to reach 80 hours per month.

Going to school at least half-time may also satisfy the requirement. Kentucky’s enrollment guidance also lists earning $580 per month, or an average of $580 over the previous six months for seasonal work, as another way to meet the standard.

Members should keep records of hours, wages, school enrollment, training participation or volunteer service. Kentucky says it will check available information and contact members if more information is needed.

Who may be exempt

Kentucky lists exemptions for several groups, including parents, guardians or caregivers actively caring for a child age 13 or younger or a person with a disability; people with disabilities or serious or complex medical conditions; pregnant or postpartum people; certain veterans; Medicare recipients; former foster-care youth under age 26; members of federally recognized tribes; and people receiving disability-related SSI, SSDI or Social Security retirement benefits.

Other listed exemptions include people enrolled in certain home- and community-based waiver programs or PACE, people in qualifying mental-health or substance-use treatment programs, people meeting certain TANF or SNAP work requirements, and some people who are incarcerated or were recently incarcerated.

Kentucky says it must be able to document an exemption. Members who believe an exemption may apply should gather medical, disability, caregiver, veteran, pregnancy, Medicare or other supporting records before renewal.

What the first notice means

The sample outreach notice says no action is required immediately. It is informational and is not a termination notice or a notice that the member has failed to meet the community-engagement requirement.

The July 1, 2026, mailing date is separate from the Jan. 1, 2027, start date for affected applicants and from the renewal process current members will face during 2027. Kentucky Medicaid says affected current members will receive additional notices beginning 120 days before their annual renewal.

The Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange guidance says members will be told whether the requirement applies to them and whether the state has identified an exemption. The state also says members can provide more information if they disagree with the determination.

What happens after a noncompliance notice

A member who later receives a noncompliance notice will have 30 days to provide information, report qualifying activity or claim an exemption. For current members, coverage continues during that response period.

If a member does not respond or otherwise fails to meet eligibility requirements, the application may be denied or coverage may be lost. That decision would come through a later eligibility process, not through the initial July outreach letter. Members have the right to appeal an eligibility decision, with instructions included in the Notice of Eligibility.

What members should do now

• Check the renewal date in kynect benefits or in state notices.
• Update mailing addresses, phone numbers and email addresses with Kentucky Medicaid.
• Begin tracking work, education, training, volunteer or community-service hours.
• Keep wage records and other proof of qualifying activity.
• Gather documentation for any exemption that may apply.
• Watch for additional notices by mail, email or text before the 2027 renewal.

Free help is available through kynect, Department for Community Based Services offices and kynectors. Members can call kynect at 1-855-459-6328, call DCBS at 1-855-306-8959, or use the state’s kynector search tools. Anyone who receives a later noncompliance notice should follow its instructions and seek help before the 30-day deadline.

Sources

• Kentucky Medicaid Member Information
• Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange: Changes Coming to Medicaid and Marketplace Coverage
• Kentucky House Bill 2 Legislative Record

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