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Melissa Patrick, Kentucky Health News
Healthy coincidence? Kentucky’s adult smoking rate, cigarette tax collections decline
Increasing state cigarette taxes has proven to be an effective policy to decrease smoking rates, and it appears that is also true in Kentucky. Nearly 30 percent of Kentucky adults smoked in 2011, two years after the legislature had doubled the cigarette tax to 60 cents a pack. Following a 50-cent increase to $1.10 in […]
Kentuckians nearing release from prison or juvenile detention in line for Medicaid coverage
Kentucky is one of five additional states that will soon provide Medicaid health coverage for people nearing release from prison or juvenile detention, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.? “We’ve been eagerly anticipating CMS’s approval of Kentucky’s healthy re-entry demonstration for years now,” said Emily Beauregard, executive director of Kentucky Voices […]
Coleman unveils $12 million in grants from opioid settlements, repeats syringe exchange criticism
Attorney General Russell Coleman issued details Thursday of more than $12 million in grants from the state’s opioid settlements for prevention, enforcement, treatment and recovery. One of the grants will expand a syringe exchange, and was not supported by Coleman’s appointees to the commission. He confirmed at an event Thursday that he opposes the exchanges. […]
Kentucky attorney general opposes syringe exchanges despite evidence of their efficacy
The leader of the agency that makes grants from the state’s opioid settlements declined to support funding for a syringe-exchange program, saying Attorney General Russell Coleman does not support such programs — which are considered a key tool for reducing harm to people who inject drugs. Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission Director Chris Evans, who […]
Kentucky nursing-home industry says Biden staffing mandate ‘impossible’ to meet
The nursing-home industry is pushing back against a new Biden administration rule that sets minimum staffing requirements for federally funded long-term care facilities and will require many of them to hire more nurses and nurse aides. Morgan Jemtrud, director of communications for the Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities and the Kentucky Center for Assisted […]
Open enrollment for federally subsidized health insurance ends Jan. 16. Kentucky enrollment already ahead of last year’s.
Kentuckians can still shop for and enroll in federally subsidized health insurance coverage on the state-based marketplace, Kynect, though Jan. 16 for coverage starting Feb. 1. That will be the end of open enrollment for 2024. To sign up, Kentuckians can visit?kynect.ky.gov?or call 855-459-6328. They can also get help at a local Department for Community-Based […]
Health-care worker shortage hitting Kentucky ‘especially hard,’ says hospital association exec
The Kentucky Hospital Association’s annual?Workforce Survey Report?says Kentucky suffers from an “acute shortage” of health care workers, with nearly 13,000 job vacancies in hospitals across the state at the end of 2022. “While the shortage of health-care workers is nationwide, it has hit the commonwealth especially hard, and KHA is working with multiple partners to […]
Ibogaine long shot for FDA approval, heart expert warns Kentucky opioid commission
In a session focused on challenges of getting the psychedelic drug ibogaine approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treating addiction with help of the state’s opioid settlement funds, a cardiologist said it couldn’t be done in a reasonable time and the drug is unsafe. “My opinion is that ibogaine is not safe, the […]
Chandler, others support Kentucky spending millions on possible psychedelic treatment for addiction
Twenty-three people spoke in favor of funding the development of an opioid-use disorder treatment using the psychedelic drug ibogaine with some of the state’s opoid-settlement money at the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission‘s second and final public hearing on Friday, Sept. 15. Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky President and CEO Ben Chandler, a former Kentucky […]
More than half of Kentucky’s counties now have harm reduction programs for IV drug users
Kentucky has added two new syringe-service programs for intravenous drug users this year, bringing the total to 84 SSPs, in 65 of the state’s 120 counties. Hart County opened its program in January and Estill County reopened its program in April. SSPs are part of what health departments call “harm reduction”? — programs that offer […]
Kentucky loses more than 100 veterans to suicide each year. Lawmakers hear a plea for help.
This story deals with suicide. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, please call or text the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. Organizations advocating for resources to prevent veteran suicide in Kentucky recently made their case to the legislature’s Interim Joint Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection. “We owe […]
Pushback greets Cameron appointee’s plan to explore illegal psychedelic to treat opioid disorder
The commission that manages the state’s opioid-settlement money voted June 13 to hold two public hearings to discuss the idea of funding development of an opioid-use disorder treatment using the psychedelic drug ibogaine. Two members of the Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission questioned the idea, one saying it seems to benefit a company developing a treatment, […]