Month: July 2016
-
Justice Department sues to block Aetna’s takeover of Humana
Getty Images The U.S. Department of Justice has filed lawsuits to block the sale of Louisville-based Humana Inc. to Aetna Inc. and of Cigna Inc. to Anthem Inc., on grounds...
-
Lexington baby tests positive for Zika virus but shows no effects; later found not to be infected
UPDATE: The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says further testing of the original sample shows that the infant was not infected. “These findings indicate that the infant was...
-
Health advocates, providers and faith leaders voice concerns about Medicaid plan; one says it’s based on false assumptions
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News FRANKFORT — Health advocates, providers and faith leaders spoke out against Gov. Matt Bevin’s proposed changes to the state’s Medicaid program at a news...
-
Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky has many concerns about new Medicaid plan; health officials say current plan is not sustainable
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News FRANKFORT — At a legislative committee meeting July 20, health advocates urged the administration of Gov. Matt Bevin to make sure the final plan...
-
Study finds no link between tighter controls on prescription opioids and increased use of heroin; some researchers disagree
National overdose-death rates for heroin (red) and prescription opioids (blue) By Al Cross Kentucky Health News Soon after Kentucky cracked down on “pill mills” where prescription painkillers were easily available,...
-
Young diabetes coalition coordinator forms partnerships to uncover and fight the disease in five Eastern Kentucky counties
By Mallory Powell University of Kentucky Growing up in Hazard, Brittany Martin was familiar with diabetes. Many of her older relatives had been diagnosed with the chronic condition, and her...
-
Ky. leads nation in cancers that are caused by a virus for which there is a vaccination, but most kids don’t get the vaccinations
By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Kentucky has the highest overall rate of cancers associated with the human papillomavirus, and among females is tied for highest with West Virginia, while...
-
Kentucky’s 40% surcharge for smokers on Obamacare plans probably scared some away, hasn’t encouraged them to quit
Allowing insurers to charge smokers extra for Obamacare health insurance appears to have discouraged them from getting it, “undercutting a major goal of the law,” Carolyn Y. Johnson reports for...
-
Kentucky College of Optometry about to open in Pikeville
Artist’s rendering of Kentucky College of Optometry, Pikeville The University of Pikeville says it is about to open the nation’s largest optometric college in terms of floor space, the Kentucky...
-
Hearing loss can lead to cognitive decline or even dementia, but is often unaffordable, and financial aid for it is shrinking
By Trudy Lieberman Rural Health News Service Nearly two-thirds of adults over age 70 have hearing loss that doctors consider “clinically meaningful.” In plain English that means as people age,...