Today, the U.S. Census Bureau released new health insurance data, revealing good news for Kentuckians. The data shows an increase in health insurance coverage rates for people of all ages in Kentucky from 85.7 percent in 2013 to 94.0 percent in 2015. Kentucky’s overall coverage rate is now tied with two other states at 10th in the nation. The one-year estimates from the American Community Survey revealed that 95.8 percent of Kentucky children under age [...]

All children, especially those living in low-income and vulnerable families, need access to affordable health care. Today, we released a special report, Medicaid Expansion in Kentucky: Benefits to Kids and Families, which examines the numerous family and child health benefits that result from parents having affordable health coverage. The new report features research that shows parent health impacts child health. More specifically, when parents have health coverage, their children are more likely to be insured, too. [...]

Kentucky Youth Advocates seeks to share voices of children and their families who will be directly impacted by the 1115 Medicaid Waiver proposed by the Bevin Administration. As child advocates, we are concerned with many of the provisions of the waiver and how they will impact vulnerable families. Kinship caregivers often receive little support to help them provide for children they have stepped up to raise. We ask the Bevin Administration to exempt kinship caregivers [...]

This post originally appeared as an op-ed in the Courier-Journal on August 25, 2016. Read it online here. “Is it good for kids?” That is the question we at Kentucky Youth Advocates always ask of our decision-makers, and we have carefully considered that question in response to the Bevin administration’s 1115 Waiver proposal to modify Kentucky’s Medicaid program. In reviewing the proposal, known as Kentucky HEALTH, we see some positives but also have concerns. Kentucky Youth Advocates supports [...]

“Is it good for kids?” That is the question we at Kentucky Youth Advocates always ask of our decision-makers, and we have carefully considered that question in response to the Bevin Administration’s 1115 Waiver proposal to modify Kentucky’s Medicaid program. In reviewing the proposal, known as Kentucky HEALTH, we see some positives but also have concerns. To briefly provide context, Medicaid has historically covered low-income, vulnerable populations, including children, pregnant women, people with disabilities, youth [...]