Kentucky state government has turned the switch back on for kynect, the one stop online portal for access to health insurance coverage and other benefits. First initiated by then Governor Steve Beshear in 2013, the Matt Bevin administration removed kynect, claiming it was a costly duplication of the federal health exchange.
During Monday’s announcement, Lieutenant Governor Jacqueline Coleman said bringing the program back is key in helping Kentuckians during this pandemic. “kynect is poised to dramatically increase public awareness of the assistance available for critical services like healthcare coverage, food assistance, subsidized childcare, and many other benefits,” said Coleman.
Governor Beshear called it a, quote, “‘newer, better, more comprehensive program.” He said re-establishing kynect fits in with the state’s plan to bring back a state based health exchange, with enrollment next year, and operation in January 2022. The governor claims it will save the state $15 million.
Health and Family Services Cabinet Secretary Eric Friedlander said the aim is to make kynect simple and accessible. “Our programs are often complex and getting to them, getting through them sometimes can take a while. So, this is mobile enabled, it is intuitive and we hope it will be simple for folks to be able to come to one place and get services and find services,” noted Friedlander.
Those services also include information on job training, foster care, elder care, and addiction.
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