Photo provided by the Annie E. Casey Foundation As the state moves forward with changes to the Medicaid system through a 1115 Medicaid Waiver, a new and separate Medicaid policy took effect on January 1st related to co-payments for Medicaid and Medicaid Expansion eligible recipients. Co-payment is an amount of money people pay to a healthcare provider for a health service, such as an office visit or prescription medication. The amount differs depending [...]

October is National Dental Hygiene Month, and we’re celebrating dental hygienists across Kentucky! Dental hygienists play a critical role in helping children and adults by examining signs of oral diseases such as gingivitis, educating patients on ways to improve and maintain good oral health, and providing preventative services such as providing fluoride varnish, removing of plaque, and cleaning.  However, the Making Smiles Happen: 2016 Oral Health Study Kentucky Youth tells us that many kids aren’t [...]

All children deserve to breathe clean air and be healthy, yet many Kentucky children live in a community that does not offer them strong protections from secondhand tobacco smoke in indoor public places. Exposure to secondhand smoke is also harmful to pregnant women and their babies, as it increases risk for poor birth outcomes. The science is clear that there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. There is good news! Two Kentucky [...]

A recent Kentucky Health Issues Poll (KHIP) found that nearly 1 in 2 young adults ages 18 to 29 said they had used an e-cigarette. Currently, 23.4% of Kentucky high school students say they currently use e-cigarettes, which is double the national average. E-cigarettes are battery-powered devices used to inhale vaporized; this is often referred to as “vaping”. Manufacturers have specifically targeted youth by creating flavored products, such as cookies ‘n cream and peanut butter cup, to mask the tobacco taste. And research shows that more [...]

During this time of year, the parents of the over 1 million kids across Kentucky are typically worrying about getting Christmas shopping finished and making sure they have just the right gifts under the tree for each child. Kentucky parents shouldn’t have to worry during this holiday season about whether or not their child will lose health insurance next year. Yet, families of nearly 93,000 Kentucky kids continue to worry and wait for Congress to [...]