Princess Health and Princess Health andKynect enrollment accelerates as Monday deadline nears; call center to be open form 8 to 4:30 Saturday and Sunday.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Princess Health andKynect enrollment accelerates as Monday deadline nears; call center to be open form 8 to 4:30 Saturday and Sunday.Princessiccia

health insurance health reform insurance exchange Medicaid state government

Gusty 15:05 Add Comment

Enrollment in coverage through the state's Kynect health-insurance exchange is accelerating as Monday's deadline for open enrollment approached.

State officials reported Friday that the rate has surpassed 4,000 per day, bringing the total to more than 350,000, or one of every 12 Kentuckians. Four-fifths of the enrollees are in Medicaid, which is open to adults with incomes at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty threshold and to children in households up to double the threshold.

Medicaid, funded mainly by the federal government, is free to beneficiaries. The insurance exchange offers private insurance plans with premium subsidies to people earning up to 400 percent of the poverty threshhold, about $96,000 for a family of four. A preliminary analysis has found that about three-fourths of enrollees report that they did not have insurance before signing up through Kynect.

Thousands of people have been found eligible for a subsidy to purchase a qualified health plan but have yet to select a plan. People who remain uninsured as of Tuesday, April 1, could face a financial penalty of $95 or 1 percent of income, whichever is greater, under the federal health-reform law. The penalty applies to every uninsured member of a household and will increase each year.

�In these final days of open enrollment, we strongly encourage folks to complete their applications and choose a plan,� said Carrie Banahan, executive director of Kynect. �After March 31, the subsidies to help cover the cost of a private health plan won�t be available again until the fall enrollment period � and by that point, being without insurance may cost you on your taxes, not to mention keep you at risk for big bills from sickness or injury.�

Individuals can sign up online 24 hours a day at kynect.ky.gov. If someone has started or filed an application by March 31 and has not been able to complete it through no fault of their own, Kynect says it will work with them to make sure they get enrolled. Individuals who have applied by March 31, but have not yet chosen a plan will have until April 15 to do so, with coverage beginning May 1.

The Kynect call center will be open through the weekend to help people navigate the exchange. For assistance, call 1-855-4kynect (1-855-459-6328) Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET.

Princess Health and Princess Health andCounty Health Rankings officials are coming to Kentucky Tuesday to spotlight local projects to improve community health.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Princess Health andCounty Health Rankings officials are coming to Kentucky Tuesday to spotlight local projects to improve community health.Princessiccia

foundations health rankings public health research

Gusty 14:46 Add Comment

State officials and health leaders will gather April 2 at the Kentucky History Center in Frankfort to celebrate Kentucky�s successes in implementing strategies for improving health at the community level, as reflected by the latest edition of County Health Rankings by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.

Representatives of the foundation and the university will be at the Frankfort event, arranged by the state Department of Public Health, the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and the Friedell Committee for Health System Transformation, which is planning a statewide campaign to improve Kentucky's health status, community by community.

The event will highlight promising local health projects and initiatives to improve community health. It will feature four Kentucky counties � Grant, Todd, Floyd and Franklin counties � that have used the County Health Rankings to help their communities begin to show signs of progress.  Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson will highlight Gov. Steve Beshear�s "Kyhealthnow" initiative to significantly improve Kentucky�s dismal health rankings and habits.

The County Health Rankings allow counties to see how well they are doing on 29 factors that influence health, including smoking, high school graduation rates, employment, physical inactivity and access to healthy foods. This year�s rankings include several new measures including housing, transportation and access to mental health providers.

�The County Health Rankings are a starting point for change, helping communities come together, identify priorities, and create solutions that will help all in our diverse society live healthier lives, now and for generations to come.�said Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Nationally, this year�s Rankings show that people living in the least healthy counties are twice as likely to have shorter lives as people living in the healthiest counties. For a story on the rankings in Kentucky, click here.

Princess Health and Princess Health andGroup overseeing effort to make state healthier hears of 'dire need,' tools for improvement.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Princess Health andGroup overseeing effort to make state healthier hears of 'dire need,' tools for improvement.Princessiccia

cancer cardiovascular disease dental care dental health diabetes drug abuse drugs health rankings mental health obesity oral health state government

Gusty 20:23 Add Comment

Kentucky's health is "in dire need of improvement," but the state has some tools to do that, including health-care reform and the insurance program for its own employees, the group of officials charged with improving the state's health heard at its first meeting Thursday.

Mayfield

Dr. Stephanie Mayfield, commissioner of the Department of Public Health, told the group overseeing "Kyhealthnow" that the state is near the bottom of national rankings on nearly every goal set for the effort, but "is poised to make strong progress through school-based programs and the fact that federal health reform has made preventive services free," a state press release said.

The goals are that by 2019, Kentucky will reduce its smoking, obesity and uninsured rates by 10 percent; cut its death rates from cancer and cardiovascular disease by 10 percent; reduce deaths from drug overdoses and the average number of poor mental health days by 25 percent; reduce the percentage of children with untreated dental decay by 25 percent, and increase adult dental visits by 10 percent.

The effort is overseen by state cabinet secretaries, other key state officials, Mayfield as co-chair and Lt. Gov. Jerry Abramson as chair, by appointment from Gov. Steve Beshear. They are to meet quarterly.

The oversight group also heard from Department of Employee Insurance Commissioner Joe Cowles, whose agency provides health insurance coverage for 266,000 members, including employees of state agencies, school boards and local government, as well as retirees under age 65 and their dependents.

Cowles talked about the two insurance plans that contain a wellness component designed to encourage plan members to lead healthier lifestyles. "These plans provide lower coinsurance, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums," Cowles said. "But more importantly, those who choose a LivingWell plan are required to complete an online health assessment. This helps them become more aware of their current well-being and understand their health risks. And, they get a personalized plan of action so they can get or stay healthy."

The department also offers a diabetes prevention program at no cost, and it has shown encouraging results, as participants are improving their physical activity and overall health, Cowles said. And it has anti-fraud measures that track the distance members drive to fill prescriptions, what drugs they are buying, how often, and so on.

The officials also heard from Dave Adkisson, president and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, which has made the health and wellness of Kentuckians one of its top three priorities because health-insurance costs have increased and an increasing share of companies� tax dollars go to pay for health care. He said the state's health problems have reached �epidemic proportions.�

�We commend Governor Beshear for engaging his entire administration in a comprehensive effort to improve Kentucky�s health problems,� Adkisson told Kentucky Health News. �Health costs are a major issue among Kentucky businesses. But containing those costs can be like turning an aircraft carrier around in open water. We are glad state government as a huge employer has stepped up its efforts to encourage wellness among state employees and their family members who are covered by the state�s health insurance program. By being aggressive on wellness, prevention and disease management, tens of thousands of lives will be improved and health care costs paid by taxpayers will be contained.�

Princess Health and Princess Health andTelemedicine can help delay Alzheimer's, especially in rural areas, where it starts sooner, Appalachian health conference is told.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Princess Health andTelemedicine can help delay Alzheimer's, especially in rural areas, where it starts sooner, Appalachian health conference is told.Princessiccia

Alzheimer's disease Appalachia dementia rural health rural-urban disparities telemedicine University of Kentucky

Gusty 14:07 Add Comment

By Melissa Landon
Kentucky Health News

Telemedicine is a strategy that can be used to help prevent and treat Alzheimer's disease, especially in rural areas, where the disease comes sooner in life, Dr. Gregory Jicha, clinical-core director of the University of Kentucky's Disease Center, said today at the fourth annual Appalachian Translational Research Network Summit in Lexington.

Dr. Gregory Jicha

While mortality rates for prostate cancer, breast cancer, heart disease and HIV are going down, the rates for Alzheimer's are going up, and by 2020, it is estimated that 5.6 million Americans could be affected by it. Rural areas have higher incidents of the condition, and the onset of dementia averages four years younger in rural areas than in urban areas, Jicha said.

The university's Telemedicine Cognition Clinic offers appointments that involve video interaction with patients and caregivers in remote areas. In rural areas in general, telemedicine can be particularly helpful for patients who live great distances from the nearest specialist. "I cannot drive to Paducah and fill an entire clinic every week," Jicha said. But he explained that he can "travel" to a different city every hour and provide care to patients. "Telemedicine really is the wave of the future," he said. 

During telemedicine appointments, medical experts can talk about the patients' history, administer cognitive tests, and even observe patients walking or performing tasks to diagnose them. The goal of the program is to provide high level care and cognitive evaluations in rural areas by partnering with primary care physicians and clinics in rural areas, Jicha said.

Another important aspect of the growing program is education, both for patients and for physicians. Alzheimer's disease has no sure, but some risk factors associated with it�such as hypertension, alcohol use and depression�are treatable. If rural residents had better access to specialists who can detect the early symptoms of the disease, its onset could be delayed.

The conference was a forum for hundreds of research efforts. Among the topics discussed during the conference were the connection between physical fitness and academic performance in children, and environmental enrichment to promote healthy aging brains.

Todd Gress, a professor at Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va., presented a study about a pilot test of a text-message reminder system to advance diabetes awareness, compliance, and education�particularly in remote areas where cell phone service might be unreliable.

The advancing telemedicine strategy and these other research agendas should serve as a reminder that gifted researchers are searching for ways to improve rural health.

Such conferences "represent the best of what's happening out there in the world of universities and the world of communities," UK Provost Christine Rirodan told one session. She said the Appalachian gathering "represents the passion of people who are dedicated to solving these problems" in the region, "which require a great deal of collaboration to solve. . . . They're not small problems."

Princess Health and Princess Health andOne of every three Kentucky adults didn't see a dentist last year; key factors are overall health, insurance and income.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Princess Health andOne of every three Kentucky adults didn't see a dentist last year; key factors are overall health, insurance and income.Princessiccia

dental care dental health oral health poll

Gusty 08:23 Add Comment

More than a third of Kentucky adults say they didn't go to a dentist last year, and one in six said they hadn't in five years or more, according to the latest Kentucky Health Issues Poll.

The results show the challenges Kentucky adults who are lower income, uninsured or living in rural areas face in getting dental care, said the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which sponsors the poll with Interact for Health, formerly the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati. �Oral health is critical to overall health,� said Dr. Susan Zepeda, president of the foundation.

The poll, taken Oct. 25 through Nov. 26, found that 64.4 percent of Kentucky adults went to the dentist in the past year. Another 8.5 percent said they had been in the previous year, 10.4 percent said their last visit was three to five years ago, and 14.6 percent said it has been more than five years. Two percent of Kentuckians polled said they had never been to a dentist.

Among those who defines their overall health as very good or excellent, 73 percent had a dental visit in the previous year while only half of those who said their overall health is fair or poor said they did.

Only 24 percent said their physician has asked about their oral or dental health. Those whose physicians did ask about their oral health (73%) were more likely to visit a dentist than those who were not asked (62%).

Dental insurance is relatively rare, so income is a major factor in seeing after oral health. Among Kentucky adults with incomes at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty threshold, making them eligible for Medicaid, 48 percent reported seeing a dentist in the past year. Among those with incomes more than double the threshold, the figure was 81 percent. Among those who said they had insurance, 70 percent reported a dental visit, while only 43 percent of the uninsured said they did.

Just over half (51%) of adults who live in Appalachian Kentucky visited a dentist in the past year compared to seven in ten (71%) of adults living outside Appalachia.

The poll surveyed a random sample of 1,551 adults from throughout Kentucky by telephone, including landlines and cell phones. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.

Princess Health and Princess Health andChildren 8-12 can submit a healthy lunch recipe by April 5 to get chance for trip to Kids' 'State Dinner' at White House.Princessiccia

Princess Health and Princess Health andChildren 8-12 can submit a healthy lunch recipe by April 5 to get chance for trip to Kids' 'State Dinner' at White House.Princessiccia

awards children food nutrition

Gusty 13:50 Add Comment

First Lady Michelle Obama is again teaming up with the Education and Agriculture departments to run a nationwide recipe contest to promote cooking and healthy eating by young people.

"Teaching kids to cook is a great way to ensure our children learn healthy habits early in life," a white House press release said. "Research shows that children who help with cooking and meal preparation are more likely to consume fruits and vegetables, and they are more aware of the importance of making healthier food choices.'

The third annual Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids' �State Dinner� encourages students across the country to come up with healthy, original creations. It invites parents or guardians and their children, ages 8 through 12, to create and submit an original lunch recipe that is healthy, affordable and tasty.

The recipe must follow the guidance that supports USDA�s MyPlate to ensure that the criteria of a healthy meal are met. Entries must include each major food group, either in one dish or as parts of a lunch meal, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and low-fat dairy foods, with fruits and veggies making up roughly half of the plate or recipe.

Recipes can be submitted through April 5, online at www.recipechallenge.epicurious.com, or via mail to The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge c/o Epicurious.com, 1166 Ave. of the Americas, 15th Floor, New York NY 10036.

This summer, Delta Air Lines will fly 56 children and their parent/guardian (one pair from each of the 50 states, plus the U.S. territories, D.C., and Puerto Rico) to the nation�s capital where they will have the opportunity to attend a Kids� �State Dinner� at the White House hosted by Mrs. Obama. A selection of the winning healthy recipes will be served. Winners will be notified in May. For more information and contest rules visit www.recipechallenge.epicurious.com.

Princess Health and Corrections to the New Review Paper on Dietary Fat and Cardiovascular Risk. Princessiccia

Princess Health and Corrections to the New Review Paper on Dietary Fat and Cardiovascular Risk. Princessiccia

cardiovascular disease

Gusty 11:36 Add Comment

The meta-analysis by Chowdhury et al. raised quite a furor from certain segments of researchers and the popular media. I find this reaction interesting. I usually write about obesity, which is a topic of great interest to people, but my post about the review paper received more than twice my usual traffic. People whose findings or opinions are questioned by the paper are aggressively denouncing it in the media, even calling for retraction (1). This resembles what happens every time a high-profile review paper is published that doesn't support the conventional stance on fatty acids and health (e.g., Siri-Tarino et al. [2], which despite much gnashing of teeth is still standing*). I'm not sure why this issue in particular arouses such excitement, but I find it amusing and disturbing at the same time. This kind of reaction would be totally out of place in most other fields of science, where aggressive public media outbursts by researchers are usually frowned upon.

As it turns out, the critics have a point this time. Significant errors were uncovered in the original version of the meta-analysis, which have been corrected in the current version (3). These include the following two errors, one of which alters the conclusion somewhat:

• The outcome of one observational study on omega-3 fatty acids was reported as slightly negative, when it was actually strongly positive. This changes the conclusion of the meta-analysis, making it somewhat more favorable to omega-3 consumption for cardiovascular protection.
• The authors left out two studies on omega-6 fatty acids. These didn't change the overall conclusions on omega-6.

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