The Kentucky House of Representatives should call for a vote on the tobacco-free schools bill, says its sponsor and a combination of health, education, business, youth advocacy and faith-based groups from across the state. The bill has been languishing since it passed unanimously out of a House committee on Feb. 7.

The letter to representatives urging a vote on House Bill 11 said the bill “would create an environment where smoking cigarettes and e-cigarettes is not the norm, reduce youth tobacco initiation, provide positive adult role modeling, and protect students, faculty, and visitors from the harms of secondhand smoke and aerosol both on campus and during school field trips.” Nearly nine in 10 Kentucky adults support tobacco-free schools, the letter added. Continue reading Kentucky Health, Education Groups Urge House to Call Tobacco-Free Schools Bill for Floor Vote →

Beshear Secures more than $5 Million for Kentucky from Medicaid Fraud Settlement with Nation’s Largest Kidney Dialysis Provider

Attorney General Andy Beshear is returning more than $5 million to the Kentucky Medicaid program from a settlement with Fresenius Medical Care Holdings Inc. over allegations of Medicaid fraud.

The settlement resolves claims by Beshear that the Massachusetts-based company violated Medicaid guidelines by failing to warn Kentucky dialysis clinics and doctors from 2003-2012 that its kidney dialysis product, GranuFlo, could result in dangerously increased bicarbonate levels. Continue reading FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL →

Kentucky Medicaid Releases Report on Pharmacy Benefit Program

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services Department for Medicaid Services (DMS) and Office of Health Data and Analytics released a new report today on the state’s pharmacy benefit program.

“MEDICAID PHARMACY PRICING: Opening the Black Box”  looks at the impact and role of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), which serve as intermediaries between Medicaid Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) and pharmacies. The report provides recommendations to help create transparency, control the pricing of medications for Medicaid beneficiaries, and improve the care provided by pharmacies within the Commonwealth.

Continue reading From the Commonwealth of Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services →

Beshear Develops Website for Kentuckians to Track his Fight for Better, More Affordable Health Care Online

Kentuckians can now visit ag.ky.gov/healthcare to track Attorney General Andy Beshear’s fight for better, more affordable health care.

Beshear said the website provides an opportunity for Kentuckians to learn about what is truly at stake in three legal cases that he has joined to ensure health care and pharmacy benefits are not taken away from more than 1.3 million Kentuckians.

Continue reading FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL →

Public Health Reports Confirmed Case of Measles in Barren River District

A case of measles has been confirmed in a young child living in the region served by the Barren River District Health Department. The child, who is unvaccinated, recently traveled out of the country to an area where measles is endemic, the Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH) reports. The case is not linked to an ongoing measles outbreak in the state of Washington or other cases of measles in the U.S. Continue reading From the Commonwealth of KY Cabinet for Health and Family Services →

Statewide Tobacco-Free Schools Bill Right Approach to Surging Teen Tobacco Use

Students, educators, health advocates and business leaders are urging the legislature in 2019 to make all Kentucky school districts tobacco-free. As health professionals and lawmakers, we believe this is the sensible approach to protecting our kids from tobacco exposure. Now is also the right time to enact this law, given the recent proliferation of vaping and e-cigarette use among adolescents and teens. Continue reading From the Office’s of Rep. Kim Moser and Sen. Ralph Alvarado →

Beshear: Rocket Dockets Getting Kentuckians into Substance Abuse Treatment Programs Faster

Attorney General Andy Beshear says Kentuckians facing drug-related offenses are getting into substance abuse treatment programs faster because of the effectiveness of the state’s Rocket Docket programs.

Beshear said treatment is paramount for these Kentuckians, their families and their communities if the state is to recover from its current drug epidemic. Continue reading FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF KENTUCKY OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL →

Public Health Continues to Promote Hepatitis A Vaccination

People who are considered high risk for exposure to the Hepatitis A virus should get vaccinated as soon as possible to avoid contracting the virus and lessen the spread of the disease. High risk groups include individuals who use illicit drugs, close contacts of illicit drug users, and homeless people.

The Department for Public Health (DPH) is making this recommendation as part of its efforts to respond to the ongoing outbreak of Hepatitis A. Since the outbreak began in August 2017, reported cases continue to rise and have now been recorded in 103 of Kentucky’s 120 counties. Continue reading From the Commonwealth of Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services →