This time last year, my wife and I were expecting our first child and were thrilled that in just six short weeks we would be able to cuddle our newborn. As an expectant father, I had many dreams and many visions of raising a child, along with many questions and unknown answers that sparked serious concerns and fear in my mind. Reflecting on the past, I realize many of these questions or fears were somewhat ridiculous [...]
The federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has a proven record of keeping people working. Claimed only by people earning income through work, the federal EITC has become the nation’s largest and most successful anti-poverty program with a thirty-year proven track record of lifting children and families out of poverty. The federal EITC alone lifted 6.1 million people, including 3.1 million children, above the poverty line in 2011. Twenty-five states and the District of Columbia have gone [...]
When we think of homelessness, we usually imagine shelters or living on the street. Yet, homelessness among children and families is much more than living in non-habitable environments. The federal McKinney-Vento Act and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have tried to capture what homelessness really means and expand the definition to include families or children fleeing domestic violence situations; families or children living with relatives or friends as temporary housing; families that [...]
As of August 18, the Department for Medicaid Services (DMS) wants its members to update their current address in its system. If DMS receives any returned mail from an address that is not current, members could lose health coverage. If an address appears incorrect, the member will have the remainder of that month plus another month to update the address. If you have Medicaid and have recently moved, please update your address with DMS. If [...]
Medicaid is turning 50! Over the last five decades Medicaid has evolved and expanded into a prominent national program covering low-income individuals and families, individuals with disabilities, and the elderly population. Yet, Medicaid is holding fast to its roots of providing health coverage for low-income children. Currently 37% of all children in the United States receive coverage provided under Medicaid. In Kentucky (as of 2012), nearly 48% of the Medicaid population are children, or about [...]
This past week, my fellow Kentucky Youth Advocates team member Mahak Kalra and I had the opportunity to visit the University of Louisville Pediatrics Downtown location. Far more than your typical pediatrician’s office, this location is an integrated health care clinic. Integrated care is a model that helps meet the health needs of our children by extending services beyond primary care. Two aspects of integrated care are particularly important for children: comprehensive care and co-location [...]
As the school year comes to a close, it is easy to get excited about what lies ahead. We quickly find our calendars filled with activities, friends, family, and vacations. Whether it is earning money at a summer job, going to camp, getting ahead at summer school, or visiting museums and libraries, the summer offers opportunities and excitement for our school-age youth. The summer also provides a gentle hope for new beginnings in the coming [...]
As we continue to celebrate National Foster Care Month, supporting improved health outcomes and access to care for these young adults is critical to their overall health. Compared to youth in permanent families, youth who age out of foster care have disproportionately high rates of serious physical, mental, and behavioral health issues. They are more likely to have health issues that affect their day-to-day functioning and more likely to need psychological and substance abuse counseling. [...]
We want to hear from you on how recent changes to Kentucky’s behavioral health services system have impacted children and youth. Kentucky has seen many changes to behavioral health services since July 2014. The Cabinet for Health and Family Services reports that more children are able to receive behavioral health services now than in the past. At the same time, the Impact Plus program serving children who need intense, community-based behavioral health services ended on October 1, 2014. These children now [...]
Data transparency is one of the current hot topics in Kentucky health, and while this sounds like an abstract or even confusing term, data transparency actually means laying out the facts so that everyone can understand them. It refers to the openness of health departments, service providers, managed care organizations, and others to provide adequate and reliable data publicly for external research, analysis, monitoring, and accountability. Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness is one of [...]
