Changes to Kentucky Employees’ Health Plan raise Republican eyebrows 

Lawmakers raised concerns this week that a new state policy could leave retirees covered by the Kentucky Employees’ Health Plan without coverage. 

Gov. Andy Beshear’s office said it’s determined to keep that from happening. 

During Tuesday’s meeting of the Public Pension Oversight Board, co-chair Rep.Walker Thomas, R-Hopkinsville, said that people who don’t make a health plan selection during open enrollment will see their coverage expire. 

In the past, he said, such people would have been defaulted to a plan, often the one they had the year prior. 

Lawmakers are mostly concerned, they said, about retirees who may not get emails or other notifications about the change — and find out too late they have lost their health insurance. 

“An illness, a family emergency or an overlooked notice can cause someone to miss a deadline. Losing health coverage is a serious consequence, especially for a retiree who is not eligible for Medicare,” Sen. Jimmy Higdon, R-Lebanon, said in a Tuesday statement. Higdon co-chairs the Public Pension Oversight Board with Thomas. 

He called on Beshear and the cabinet to “reconsider this policy and delay implementation for one year. That is a reasonable alternative that will ensure our retirees will not lose their health insurance.” 

Scottie Ellis, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, said the personnel cabinet is “working to make sure Kentucky state employees and retirees are informed and prepared to select the best Kentucky Employees’ Health Plan for their personal needs during open enrollment.” 

“As healthcare costs rise nationwide, health insurance premiums, co-pays and deductibles are increasing too, including for KEHP,” Ellis said in a statement. “Because of these major changes, employees and retirees are asked to complete a short, six-step process that takes 10 minutes or less. Weekly reminders via mail, email and social media will be sent to all members, and there will be 14 Benefits Fairs across the state to assist members with plans and sign-ups. As the process continues, steps will be taken so that, again, no one involuntarily loses coverage.” 

Open enrollment starts Oct. 5.