Author: Al Cross
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‘Medicaid Dashboard’ gives county-by-county details on 375,000 who joined program, what screenings they got, what they found
The expansion of the federal-state Medicaid program under federal health reform marks the biggest change in Kentucky health care since Medicare began in the mid-1960s. Almost 400,000 people have joined...
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Thousands of Kentuckians face federal tax penalty for not having health insurance
“Thousands of Kentuckians might face a penalty this tax season for failing to sign up for health insurance during 2014,” Mary Meehan reports for the Lexington Herald-Leader. The state estimated...
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Economic upturn boosts share of Kentuckians on employer-based health coverage; health reform boosts number on public plans
Half of Kentucky’s working-age adults now get health insurance through their employers, up from 37 percent two years ago, reversing a downward trend that began with the Great Recession. Meanwhile,...
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At least 14 counties had vaccination rates in 2011-12 below level experts say is needed to protect kindergartners from measles
As concern about the spread of measles from lack of vaccination grows, many Kentucky counties probably have vaccination rates below the minimum that experts say is needed to create “herd...
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Feb. 15 is deadline to get health insurance; those who don’t can be penalized up to 2 percent of their annual income
Sunday, Feb. 15 at 11:59 p.m. is the deadline to buy private, subsidized health insurance through Kynect, the state-run marketplace created under federal health reform. If your annual income is...
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Johnson foundation, Appalachian commission, Foundation for a Healthy Ky. to examine bright and dark spots in Appalachia
The Appalachian Regional Commission, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky are working on a three-year health-research project to determine factors that can support a...
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Kynect private-insurance enrollment runs through Feb. 15; exchange works to get taxpayers information to prove coverage
With the close of open enrollment coming Feb. 15, state officials are making a final push to get Kentuckians to enroll in Medicaid or buy private, subsidized health insurance on...
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Health care changes are driven by more than reform law; Beshear says patients need rewards for changing their behavior
“Your doctor’s visits might get longer, you deductibles probably will be higher and you might be paying cash to be treated at a Wal-Mart near you as Kentucky adapts to...
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Are nutrition rules for schools and day-care centers too much regulation, or steps in the right direction, toward better health?
Commentary by Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News The Paducah Sun’s editorial on Jan. 20 said the Obama administration has overstepped its bounds by expecting child day-care centers to follow stricter nutrition standards....
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Heavy use of e-cigarettes may deliver big doses of formaldehyde, which can be a cause of lung cancer, study suggests
Vapor produced by electronic cigarettes can contain a surprisingly high concentration of formaldehyde—a known carcinogen that can cause lung cancer through prolonged exposure—researchers reported Wednesday in a study published in...