When children have health care coverage, they are able to get the preventive care they need to stay healthy and show up for school ready to learn. It also means their families can afford to take them to the doctor when they are sick, so they don’t wind up having to rely on more expensive hospital care if they get sicker. A new report by Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families and Kentucky Youth [...]
Kentucky Voices for Health, a statewide health coalition of which Kentucky Youth Advocates is a member, released a new infographic that highlights the impact Medicaid coverage has had in Kentucky. Three main takeaways from the infographic show how expanded coverage improves health and ultimately helps Kentucky as a whole. Coverage helps workers – most people benefiting from this coverage are working individuals, which leads to more time at work, less sick days, and more stable [...]
Mark your calendars! Open enrollment for health insurance plans—via kynect—begins November 1, 2015 and closes on January 31, 2016. If you don’t have access to health insurance, have trouble affording health care, or have inadequate health coverage, be sure to visit the kynect website to compare the options that could best work for you or your family. This year, kynect will have two stores (one in Louisville and one in Lexington) open in mid-November to assist anyone [...]
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 [...]
October is Health Literacy Month, which is the perfect time to focus on the health and oral health of Kentucky’s children and families. Oral health is a key component of overall health and wellness, but it remains an issue of concern for many Kentucky families: According to PEW Center on the States, Kentucky received a “C” grade in providing oral health care to children and a “D” grade in overall oral health prevention. Nearly 43 [...]
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 [...]
New health insurance data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau revealed that health insurance coverage rates for both children and adults increased in Kentucky from 2013 to 2014. The one-year estimates from the American Community Survey revealed that 95.7 percent of Kentucky children under 18 had health insurance in 2014, compared with 94.1 percent in 2013. This is an estimated increase of 16,000 children. In addition, coverage for those under age 65, which includes [...]
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 [...]
You may have heard that if something is working, you should just leave well enough alone and let things continue as they are. At some point, progress will plateau and you can figure out how to move forward. However, I would contend something different. In his book, If It Ain’t Broke…Break It!, well-known business leader and author Dr. Robert Kriegel states that when things are going well, that is just the right time to re-think how to improve [...]
Healthier communities lead to healthier kids and families. As kids across the Commonwealth head back to school, maintaining healthy habits and building in quality family time becomes increasingly important. One way to improve family health and well-being, and to increase parent and community engagement, is through shared-use agreements. In the 2012 report Sharing School Facilities, the Kentucky Cancer Consortium and Kentucky Youth Advocates explain how shared-use agreements work for communities. Kentucky kids and families need safe [...]
