News Room

Policymakers Need to Consider Children and Families While Transitioning to Managed Care   Statement by Lacey McNary, Deputy Director of Kentucky Youth Advocates “Governor Beshear announced today that four companies were awarded contracts through the expansion of Medicaid Managed Care. While it is difficult to know the outcomes of this major transition in the state health care system, one thing is clear: state officials must actively educate families so they are knowledgeable about the changes in health care that are coming their way. At this point, the national experience with managed care has been both positive and negative. In some cases, [...]

Analysis: Federal Tax Filers in Kentucky’s Top 5 Percent Will Get Tax Cut 10 Times Bigger than Bottom 60 Percent if Tax Cuts Continue: Deficit Will Double On Tenth Anniversary of Tax Cuts Enacted Under Bush Administration, Citizens for Tax Justice and Kentucky Youth Advocates Release Kentucky and Federal Fact Sheets with 2013 Projections Jeffersontown, KY – As Congress and the President debate whether and on what conditions to raise the debt ceiling, America will mark the tenth anniversary of the policy change that accounts for much of the federal budget gap: the cuts enacted under President’s George W. Bush’s [...]

Over 2,500 Organizations Across the Country Have Signed a Letter Addressed to Congress Jeffersontown, KY - More than 2,500 national, state, and local organizations joined in a letter sent to Congress today to urge Members to oppose proposals that cut or dismantle the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly food stamps). The letter, circulated by the National Anti-Hunger Organizations (NAHO), is being delivered to every member of Congress and the White House. The letter includes signatures from more than 30 organizations in Kentucky. Some recent deficit reduction proposals in Congress, particularly the House-passed (but Senate-rejected) “Ryan budget” plan, would make [...]

Increased Safety, Improved Health, and Reduced Traffic Congestion Jeffersontown, KY - With heavy reliance on driving in Kentucky, roads have generally been designed with only cars and trucks in mind, making it difficult and often dangerous for bicyclists and pedestrians to navigate safely. Children, older adults, and individuals with disabilities are particularly vulnerable on Kentucky roads as they commonly walk, bicycle, or utilize public transportation. A new issue brief by Kentucky Youth Advocates, Complete Streets: Venues for Safety and Wellness in Kentucky, indicates the need for complete streets in Kentucky and highlights the benefits this approach can bring to communities. [...]

It was with great sadness that Kentucky Youth Advocates learned of the passing of its founding director, David Richart of Louisville. David served as Kentucky Youth Advocates’ first executive director in 1976, and over the next 20 years helped to shape it into the commonwealth’s most respected, credible voice for children and families. David was unrelenting in his advocacy, placing his only priority on Kentucky's kids. He combined his passion for Kentucky's most vulnerable youth with policy smarts to create lasting change for hundreds of thousands of Kentucky children. Kentucky Youth Advocates will honor David’s legacy by continuing his important [...]

Jeffersontown, KY – The Beshear administration is currently in the process of implementing a managed care system to deliver health services to Kentuckians enrolled in Medicaid and KCHIP with the intent to both improve health outcomes and achieve cost savings.  As the state makes such a significant shift in service delivery it is critical to consider the potential impact on over 430,000 children who are served by Medicaid and KCHIP in Kentucky.  Kentucky Youth Advocates outlines both concerns and opportunities for children around managed care in a new issue brief, “Policymakers Need to Consider Children While Negotiating Managed Care Contracts.” [...]

Statement by Terry Brooks, Executive Director, Kentucky Youth Advocates “The Request for Proposals for Medicaid Managed Care Organizations was released today and we are pleased to see the document requires specific considerations for children, including children in foster care, school based services, newborns, and children with special health care needs. As the Commonwealth takes steps towards expanding Medicaid managed care in Kentucky and begins to review proposals, it is crucial that we not only look to increase efficiencies within state government, we must also look to improve health outcomes for all. Managed care could naturally translate into improved access to [...]

Promising Practices Apparent, but Sustainability and Budgets a Concern Jeffersontown, KY – As schools across the Commonwealth, and the country, wrestle to improve test scores and other accountability measures, there is a growing awareness about the impact that factors such as children’s health and wellness have on school performance. Many districts in Kentucky have recognized this in recent years and intervened by providing school health services to meet students’ health needs at school. Until now, however, detailed information on school health services offered in Kentucky districts was not available. Today, Kentucky Youth Advocates and the University of Louisville release the [...]

Jeffersontown, KY – As schools across the Commonwealth, and the country, wrestle to improve test scores and other accountability measures, there is a growing awareness about the impact that factors such as children’s health and wellness have on school performance. Many districts in Kentucky have recognized this in recent years and intervened by providing school health services to meet students’ health needs at school. Until now, however, detailed information on school health services offered in Kentucky districts was not available. Today, Kentucky Youth Advocates and the University of Louisville release the findings of a study on districts’ school health services [...]

More Work Needs to be done to Ensure That Across-the-Board Cuts Do not Happen   Statement by Terry Brooks, Executive Director, Kentucky Youth Advocates   In what can only be described as head-scratching maneuvering from all sides, Governor Beshear faces important decisions around the state’s Medicaid budget. As the Governor considers the legislation handed him by the House and Senate, we urge him to: Take the fiscal actions required in moving $166.5 million from the FY 2012 budget to FY 2011 to prevent crippling cuts to reimbursement for Medicaid providers across the Commonwealth. Reject across the board cuts to the much [...]