Poll shows more than half of Ky. adults have no dental insurance and many go without essential dental care

Routine dental care is essential to overall health, but a new poll shows 1.7 million Kentucky adults do not have dental insurance. That is more than times the number of people who will be at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby, notes the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which co-sponsored the poll.

The poll also showed that many Kentucky adults are going without the dental care they need. While the poll found that few owe money for dental bills, only 61 percent said they visited a dentist or dental clinic within the past year. The national figure is 70 percent.

“Oral health is essential to overall health,” said Dr. Susan Zepeda, president and CEO of the foundation. “Yet, our research indicates a majority of Kentuckians do not have dental coverage, so it is not surprising that a large number of adults do not have a personal dentist or oral health provider.”

Poor oral health or oral pain can lead to poor nutrition and can reduce someone's quality of life by making it difficult to sleep, work or interact with others, and having dental insurance is an important factor in determining whether someone is getting the dental care they need.  More than 50 percent of poll respondents indicated not having dental insurance of any kind, and almost half of that group said they skipped getting dental care or check-ups in the past year due to its cost.

Whether or not someone has a normal source of care is also an important factor in determining health care outcomes because those with a personal dentist or doctor are more likely to seek care. Almost 40 percent of poll respondents, however, said they do not have a personal dentist or oral health provider, and almost 80 percent of those respondents said its been more than five years since they last visited a dentist or dental clinic.

The poll was funded by the foundation and the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati. The poll was conducted last year from Sept. 20 through Oct. 14 by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati. A random sample of 1,680 adults from throughout Kentucky was interviewed by telephone, including landlines and cell phones, and the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 points.

Baucus sees a health-reform 'train wreck,' fearing insurance exchanges won't be ready

Max Baucus (J. Scott Applewhite, AP)

Senator Max Baucus, who as Senate Finance Committee chair helped write the health-care reform law, has become the highest-ranking Democrat to publicly voice concerns about its implementation, saying he thinks it’s headed for a collision with itself.

“I just see a huge train wreck coming down,” the Montanan told Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius during a budget hearing.

Matt Gouras of The Associated Press notes that polls show that Americans are confused by the complex law, which is designed to cover about 30 million uninsured people through a mix of government programs and tax credits. Baucus told Sibelius he’s “very concerned” that new health insurance exchanges will not open on time in every state and residents will not have enough information to make choices even if they do open on time, as Kentucky's seems likely to do.

"The administration’s public-information campaign on the benefits of the Affordable Care Act deserves a failing grade,” Baucus lectured. “You need to fix this.” Baucus’ office later told Gouras that the senator still thinks the Affordable Care Act is a good law, but questions its roll-out.

Sebelius said that the administration is on track to fully implement exchanges in January, and to be open for open enrollment on Oct. 1, 2013, reports Gouras. Kentucky is among the states that have chosen to build a fully state-based exchange. Others have chosen a state-federal partnership exchange, or defaulted into a federally facilitated exchange. The map below shows the lay of the land about that decision. Yellow states have defaulted to a federal exchange, light blue states are planning for a partnership and blue states have chosen a state-based exchange.

Map provided by the Kaiser Family Foundation

Poll shows health care costs are a burden for many Kentuckians

A recent statewide survey shows health-care costs are a burden for many Kentuckians, especially for those who are poor and don't have insurance and put off getting care they need because they can't afford it.

More than 60 percent of Kentucky adults in the poll said high costs forced them or a family member living in their home to delay getting care in the past year. Not surprisingly, almost 90 percent of uninsured respondents reported going completely without care in the past year.

The Kentucky Health Issues Poll also showed that 48 percent have relied on home remedies when they are sick instead of going to a doctor, 43 percent have postponed care they needed, 37 percent have not filled a prescription or skipped a dental visit or checkup, 36 percent skipped a recommended medical test or treatment, and 16 percent have cut pills in half or skipped doses of medicine for financial reasons. Overall, 64 percent answered "yes" to at least one of those questions.

“Although our economy is improving, many Kentucky families are still struggling financially. Our research shows healthcare costs have a significant impact on Kentuckians’ actions,” said Dr. Susan Zepeda, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, which co-sponsored the poll. “Timely access to quality, affordable healthcare is important to restore and maintain Kentuckians’ health and productivity. When we delay or go without care, illness severity and costs can escalate. Based on the KHIP results, many Kentuckians are taking risks with their overall health because of the expense.”

Rising costs of health care do not affect all Kentuckians in the same way; almost 40 percent of Kentucky adults reported that paying for health care and health insurance is not a financial burden. Those who did say costs were a burden said they were burdened equally by the costs of doctor visits, prescription drugs and insurance premiums or deductibles.

The poll was funded by the foundation and the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati. The poll was conducted Sept. 20 and Oct. 14 of last year by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati. A random sample of 1,680 adults from throughout Kentucky was interviewed by telephone, including landlines and cell phones, and the poll has a margin of error of plus or 2.5 points.

Confused or concerned about the impact of health reform on Kentucky businesses? There's a seminar for that.

To address possible confusion or concern of business people and the public about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare," health-care reform experts will address its impact on small and large companies across Kentucky at half-day seminars in Lexington and Louisville on May 8 and 9.

The Kentucky Health Care Reform Seminar will include specific discussions about expected cost increases and tax implications for businesses once reform is implemented, including the role of the health insurance exchange and the changing ways that coverage premiums will be determined. The seminar will be presented by The Iasis Group Inc., The Lane Report and the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, says a chamber release.  

Guidance to employers will be provided on complying with the new rules surrounding insurance reforms and insight to whether Kentucky companies can truly afford it. The seminar is part of a statewide partnership that includes Commerce Lexington, Greater Louisville Inc., the Kentucky Society for Human Resource Management and the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce (Click here for more details or to advance register)

Will Kentucky expand Medicaid, and if so, how?

By Molly Burchett
Kentucky Health News

Kentucky is one of the last states to decide whether to expand Medicaid under federal health reform, and now that the General Assembly has gone home, Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear can turn his attention to the many questions that linger. Some Republican legislators think he will expand the program, but they worry about the cost when the state would have to start helping cover the new expenses, beginning in 2017.

Republican Gov. Bill Haslam of Tennessee decided Wednesday that he will not pursue Medicaid expansion, saying that it could put hospitals in financial jeopardy by giving them more patients on which they lose money, reports Michelle Kaske of Bloomberg. If he is right and the same logic applies to Kentucky, Medicaid expansion in the state could harm the rural hospitals and providers -- some of whom are already squeezed by the issues with the new managed-care system.

Along with Kentucky, 10 other states are undecided about Medicaid expansion: Alaska, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, New York, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming. The map by The Advisory Board Company shows the lay of the land; for an interactive picture that outlines the research behind the map, click here.

Red=Not participating; Pink=Leaning toward not participating;
Gray=Undecided; Blue=Participating; Light Blue=Leaning toward participating

Only three states with Democratic governors are undecided; 18 Republican governors have rejected expansion. Kentucky is shown as leaning for it because Beshear has repeatedly said that he will expand Medicaid if the state can afford it. He has also mentioned that the state can reserve the right to pull out of the deal in 2017, when it must paying 3 percent of the cost of covering the newly insured, reaching 10 percent in 2020. Still, the questions about cost and affordability remain, and Beshear could be considering another option.

Tennessee has joined Ohio and Arkansas in negotiating with the Obama administration over plans to use federal Medicaid money to purchase private insurance for those who can't afford it but don't qualify for Medicaid now. However, Haslam's plan has been held up because the administration placed too many conditions on the money, writes Kaske. Republicans in other states, including Florida, Louisiana, Pennsylvania and Texas, have expressed interest in this option since Gov. Mike Beebe of Arkansas, a Democrat, ignited the wildfire of creating a hybrid of the two alternatives, reports Robert Pear of The New York Times.

The idea of privatizing Medicaid expansion appeals to many doctors and hospitals because they typically receive higher payments from commercial insurance than from Medicaid. However, many Kentucky hospitals and providers are concerned about the managed-care program that is run by three private organizations, and are calling for immediate action. Beshear has not said whether he will sign or veto a bill that would subject the managed-care firms to the prompt-payments and dispute-resolution rules of the state Department of Insurance.

"Action is needed to address the problems that patients and hospitals are experiencing with Medicaid managed care and to make the system work properly," wrote Harold "Bud" Warman, chair of the Kentucky Hospital Association, and Charles Lovell, chair-elect of the association, in a recent Herald-Leader article that laid out the various problems with the system. "And with the possibility that Medicaid will be expanded in Kentucky to include an additional 350,000 people, it is critical that these issues be addressed right away to avoid even greater problems in the future."

Either using federal dollars to buy private insurance in order to cover newly qualified individuals (the hybrid plan) under the health law's expansion  or expanding in the "traditional" way will not change the current managed care structure of Medicaid in Kentucky. Yet, it would mean that 350,000 more Kentuckians would be covered under managed care; Medicaid would cover those earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, currently up to $15,856 a year for an individual.

The money that the federal government offers for expansion is very tempting. The question then may be, how will it be used?

Kentucky Health News is an independent news service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

Newly formed Kentucky Health Cooperative gets OK to offer plans in state's health insurance exchange

The new Kentucky Health Cooperative's health-insurance plans have received approval from the state Department of Insurance and will be available on Kentucky's insurance exchange market when it opens in October.

“This is a red-letter day for Kentuckians,” Janie Miller, CEO of the cooperative, said in a news release. “Although health-care cooperatives have offered quality care and lower overhead expenses to members since the 1930s, they’re the ‘newest kid’ on Kentucky’s health insurance block. Efforts are underway to help the public become familiar with the cooperative concept.” The cooperative was formed with a mixture of private capital and federal loans.

Miller, a former secretary of the state Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said the cooperative is like member-owned and member-operated credit unions, rural electric cooperatives and food co-ops. “Think agriculture cooperative extension offices, and consider the impact such organizations have made,” she said. “Doing so makes it easy to imagine the potential, similar value to the citizens of our Commonwealth offered by a health cooperative.”

Joe Smith, chair of the cooperative's board of directors, said “A gateway has been opened to individuals and small businesses seeking more affordable, consumer-friendly, quality-driven health insurance options.”

Details about the cooperative plans offered to individuals and businesses with 50 or fewer employees on the nw state insurance exchange will be announced in the coming months. (Read more at the KYHC website)

Legislature eases physician assistant rules; nurse practitioners' prescription power, Medicaid prompt-payment bills, others linger

By Molly Burchett and Al Cross
Kentucky Health News

The Kentucky General Assembly has joined other states in easing the restrictions on physician assistants’ medical practice, but has held up a similar move for advanced registered nurse practitioners. Both issues relate to the shortage of medical practitioners in many Kentucky counties, and the quality of medical care.

The Senate added the physician assistant language of Senate Bill 43 to House Bill 104, an art-therapy bill, in order to preserve an agreement between the Kentucky Medical Association and the Kentucky Academy of Physician Assistants. It will repeal the law that bans PAs from practicing for their first 18 months unless a physician is on site; one will still have to be available by telephone. The amended bill has been sent to Gov. Steve Beshear for his signature or veto.

The amendment was used because the House had tacked onto SB 43 an amendment from advance practice registered nurses that would have repealed the need for them to have a collaborative agreement with a physicians to prescribe non-narcotic drugs. The KMA opposes that idea.

"It's looking like the doctors win," said Sen. Julie Denton, R-Louisville, who favors the repeal. "I'm not hopeful" it can pass, she said, but added that some physicians also favor it: "With Obamacare coming in, we're going to need all the front-line physicians we can get." Leading opponents of the measure, Republicans Katie Stine of Fort Thomas and Carroll Gibson of Leitchfield, didn't return a call seeking comment.

Nurse practitioners say that SB 43 is necessary to allow them to fill health-care gaps in rural Kentucky and address the state's shortage of primary-care providers. The Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives says in an article prepared for Kentucky newspapers that NPs have never been required to practice under physician supervision and 17 states allow full prescribing authority for non-scheduled medications.

The Medicaid prompt-payment bill, HB 5, went to a conference committee after the House refused to go along with Senate changes, and may be considered when the legislature returns later this month, ostensibly to consider any bills Beshear vetoes. The bill would apply prompt-payment laws to managed-care organizations and would move Medicaid late-payment complaints to the insurance department; those are now handled by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which administers Medicaid.

In the final crunch to pass legislation before the veto recess, lawmakers attached seven health care-related bills to HB 366, which had focused on identifying congenital heart disease in newborns. It had 10 additional measures "hung on it like a Christmas tree before the free conference committee of House and Senate members," reports Ryan Alessi of cn|2's "Pure Politics."

The bills still hanging on the measure, dubbed the "healthy Christmas tree," are:

• HB 187, addressing a free prescription-drug program for under-insured Kentuckians.
• HB 79, which would exempt licensed health care providers from being disciplined for prescribing naloxone in the event of an overdose.
• HB 387, which aims to provide nutritional supplements for low-birth-weight newborns.
• SB 201, which addresses licensed diabetes educators.
• SB 38, to require Medicaid to accept provider credentialing by a Medicaid managed-care organization.
• SB 108, relating to managed-care contracts with the IMPACT Plus program, a behavioral health program for children.

Kentucky Health News is an independent news service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

Kentucky families struggle to care for violent, mentally ill children, and say their plight has been made worse by managed-care firms

Kentucky families struggle to care for violent, mentally ill children, and say their plight has been made worse by managed-care companies that fragment mental-health care and make it harder to find appropriate, stable treatment, which ultimately places the larger public at risk, Laura Ungar reports for The Courier-Journal.

Ungar writes that the lives of these Kentucky families resemble in part the one that lead to a devastating outcome in Newtown, Conn., where 20-year-old Adam Lanza, who had poor mental health and was under his mother’s care, went on a shooting rampage in an elementary school and killed 20 students and six staff members.

To represent the Kentucky families fighting, this battle, Ungar tells the story of the Davies family, who battle to keep themselves safe from the violent rage of their 14-year-old daughter, Lucy, while struggling to find the help she needs. Lucy has threatened to kill her 16-year-old sister, Katie, and herself, she’s tried to throw Katie and her father Dan down the basement stairs, and she’s been abusive to her mother.

Lucy suffers from a long list of disorders: neurological problems from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, a mood disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and cognitive difficulties, Ungar reports. "Since Lucy was adopted at age 9, she’s received fragmented treatment in more than six facilities and doctors’ offices, none of which have been able to stop her violent outbursts," Ungar writes. Now, her Medicaid managed-care insurer, Coventry Cares, won’t cover her treatment in an Illinois facility called NeuroRestorative, which Ungar says offers her the best chance at improvement.

"The care tracking is just so fragmented, and we have managed-care companies that determine from afar what care people can get. They go from provider to provider. It’s a tragedy," said Louise Howell, president of Buckhorn Children and Family Services, where Lucy was treated briefly before becoming too violent for the staff. “This child is a perfect example of someone in need of a strong therapeutic community," Howell said. "And there’s so many of them."

Before going to Buckhorn, Lucy was at Rivendell Behavioral Health Services in Bowling Green, where she received brief treatment after threatening to kill her sister. From Buckhorn she got an emergency transfer to Our Lady of Peace in Louisville, which could handle her high level of violence. She was released when she moved from the Medicaid plan Kentucky Spirit, which plans to break its contract with the state, to Coventry Cares, with which Our Lady of Peace had severed ties.

Lucy's mother told Ungar that every switch of caregiver and facility increases the trauma to her daughter, who desperately needs stable care. Lucy’s parents say she would have such stability at NeuroRestorative, where her fetal alcohol syndrome could be addressed on a long-term basis. But two doctors working for Coventry, who have never examined Lucy, told her parents that Conventry "won’t cover the placement because there’s no evidence that inpatient care for brain trauma is medically necessary," Ungar reports.

Her eyes full of tears, Cynthia Davies told Ungar, “You cannot look into my daughter’s eyes and tell me she doesn’t deserve care. She’s a human being.” (Read more)

Cost of Staying Healthy on the Rise

The federal government's approval of a 5.6% increase in health premiums has fuelled controversy and debate and is set to put households under more financial pressure in the coming year. The increase, dubbed by the Health Minister as "modest", translates into a $1.70 increase per week for a single person and $3.70 more for a family. Health Minister Tanya Plibersek says that, by comparison, the increase for consumers is significantly lower than the 9.3% increase being shouldered by insurance companies. The increase is slightly higher than last year's 5.06% hike and will be implemented from April.

The Spokesperson for the Coalition, Peter Dutton, says that this increase, coupled with increases in other government policies, is putting family budgets under immense strain. He says this latest news might be taking the pressure off the government, in terms of comparisons to previous years' performances, but for the average household the news is anything but pleasing.

In defence, the federal government says the health insurance premium increases that have taken place under the current government are lower than those of the previous government. Plibersek claims that during Tony Abbott's tenure as Health Minister the average increase was 6.5%, while one year saw an increase of 8%. She says the government is aware of the increasing cost of living and has encouraged people to compare health insurance memberships to see if they can secure a better deal. She says she expects health insurance memberships to stay strong, with memberships at their highest levels of all time.

Despite the Health Minister's optimism the 30% private health insurance rebate has undergone means testing since July and parliament is currently deliberating dropping subsidies for Lifetime Health Cover loading, applicable to those who do not take out private cover by the time the financial year that they turn 31 in comes around. She encouraged shopping around for competitive rates as policies vary by as much as $200 per policy across different providers.

The Coalition's spokesperson said also that the Labour government's changes had yet to be experienced fully because so many Australians had tried to beat the increases by prepaying their premiums. The Chief Executive Officer of Consumers Health Forum of Australia also agreed that people should renew their cover to see if there was a chance of getting better value.

One in seven people who have private health insurance could be looking at a 27% premium increase in July, if the intended government rebate changes go through. An industry lobby group says that nearly 1.1 million members will be affected by changes to Lifetime Health Cover and for some people the difference amounts to as much as $500.

Along with the annual premium increase of more than 5% the removal of the rebate will see some premiums go up by a third this year. The industry lobby group claims these two events will see people either terminating or downgrading their cover, and putting more pressure on the public hospital system.

Last month a story was carried that claimed the government would be investigating the number of people downgrading their policies and also how easy it is for people to switch policies over if they find a better deal.

In his midyear review the Treasury's Wayne Swan alleged the changes to the rebate system would enable a saving of $1.1 billion (when the Treasurer was still pursuing his budget surplus). But the government has already benefitt4d from the LHC because it has prompted more young people to take out private cover, earlier on in life and offsetting against higher claim costs from older members. The government says the financial impact of dropping the rebate will make a difference of $116 per annum.

Feds letting Arkansas privatize Medicaid expansion; idea could spread like wildfire, as in Florida, but cost questions remain

Arkansas has turned heads nationally with its preliminary plan to expand Medicaid using the private insurance market, showing that the Obama administration is willing to give states more flexibility than expected in expanding the program.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has agreed to a proposal by Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe to reject the Medicaid expansion but use federal money to buy private health insurance for the 200,000 people who would have been covered under ordinary expansion, reports Sandhya Somashekhar of The Washington Post.

States that have come down on either sides of the Medicaid-expansion issue may reconsider their decision in light of the Arkansas proposal, said Sara Rosenbaum, a health law professor at George Washington University. "If Arkansas is allowed to do this, I expect it to spread like wildfire," Rosenbaum told the Post.

The first place could be Florida, where a state Senate committee rejected Republican Gov. Rick Scott's expansion plan and proposed a privatization plan like that in Arkansas. Last week, a House committee voted to reject any expansion of the program. Scott "made it clear he was not going to lobby the Legislature on Medicaid," preferring to emphasize other issues, The New York Times' Lizette Alvarez reports. For coverage from the Tampa Bay Times and The Miami Herald, click here.

Could the wildfire spread all the way up to Kentucky?

Gov. Steve Beshear has said he wants to expand Medicaid in Kentucky if the state can afford it, but many Republican lawmakers oppose the idea, saying it would not be fiscally responsible. On the national level, 26 states and the District of Columbia have expressed a desire to expand Medicaid, 17 have said they reject it and seven are undecided, according to the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.

A more flexibile arrangement could be a game changer because it makes expansion more appealing, especially for states where expanding Medicaid has been politically unpopular and polarizing. in Arkansas, which has a Democratic governor and a Republicna legislature, officials say that from an ideological standpoint, using private insurance appeals to lawmakers from both parties, reports Somashekhar. She reports that even Democratic-led states might prefer this arrangement because it gets rid of some bureaucratic hurdles.

However, there are questions about cost. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that private insurance plans cost $3,000 more per person than Medicaid, reports Somashekhar. On the other hand, Arkansas officials say the move could ultimately save money in administrative charges along with other cost-control measures.

Although the Arkansas proposal is not concrete, it provides proof that the Department for Health and Human Services encourages innovative, state-based approaches to promote expansion. Many states may develop a new route best suited to their specific needs, without having to leave federal money on the table. (Read more)

Essential-benefits rule expands mental-health and substance-abuse coverage; Ky. needs more facilities to treat newly eligible

The Department of Health and Human Services has defined the 10 "essential health benefits" insurance plans must provide, and it included benefits for mental health and treatment of substance-abuse disorders..

Nearly 20 percent of Americans don't have access to mental-health services and over 30 percent have no coverage for substance-abuse treatment. This rule will expand mental health and substance-abuse treatment benefits to 62 million Americans, according to HHS.

Expanded coverage for mental health and substance abuse treatment programs in Kentucky could bring about a dramatic shift in the delivery of these services. There is already a shortage of treatment options and centers for Kentuckians, and those suffering from addiction have not had coverage for such treatment; the proposed rule will change that.

Recovery Kentucky, a public-private partnership with residential facilities, was created to help Kentuckians recover from substance abuse. It has 10 centers, in Campbellsville, Erlanger, Florence, Harlan, Henderson, Hopkinsville, Morehead, Owensboro, Paducah, and Richmond, according to the 2012 Justice & Public Safety Cabinet report, which included the map below. 

Health-insurance plans must cover the 10 essential benefits beginning in 2014, so the state must prepare for the newly insured in addition to newly covered services. The rule defines what must be covered in insurance plans and bans discrimination based on age or pre-existing conditions. Among the core package of items and services, known as “essential health benefits" are items and services in the following categories:

1. Ambulatory patient services
2. Emergency services
3. Hospitalization
4. Maternity and newborn care
5. Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment
6. Prescription drugs
7. Rehabilitative and habilitative services and devices
8. Laboratory services
9. Preventive and wellness services and chronic disease management
10. Pediatric services, including oral and vision care

States are given flexibility in implementing the federal health-care reform law with a benchmark approach. The Kentucky Department of Insurance has recommended that the Anthem Preferred Provider Organization plan serve as the “benchmark” plan for the Kentucky Health Benefit Exchange. HHS will review the recommendation and accept public comments prior to making a final decision. (Read more)

Senate advances bill to allow Christian heath coverage cooperative back into Kentucky

Without dissent, the state Senate approved a bill Wednesday, Feb. 13, that would grant Christian health cost-sharing organization Medi-Share an exemption from the state's insurance laws and enable it to resume operation in Kentucky.

The Florida-based health care ministry was forced out of Kentucky last year by Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate, who ordered Medi-Share to stop operating in Kentucky. He acted at the request of the state Department of Insurance, which said the organization didn't comply with insurance regulations.

Sen. Tom Buford, R-Nicholasville, chairman of the Banking and Insurance Committee and sponsor of the bill, said the legislation would allow about 800 Kentuckians to rejoin Medi-Share. It would remove Medi-Share and two similar ministries operating in Kentucky out from oversight of the insurance department.

"The Department of Insurance regulates insurance companies. This is not an insurance company," Buford told the committee. Medi-Share does not include any contractual agreement to pay medical bills, but users are matched with each other to help pay for medical expenses through community giving, according to its website.

Medi-Share's plans resembles secular insurance in some ways but only allows participation by people who pledge to live Christian lives with no smoking, drinking, using drugs or engaging in sex outside of marriage, reports Beth Musgrave of the Lexington Herald-Leader.

The bill would require Medi-Share to tell members it's not an insurance company and does not guarantee that all medical bills would be paid, notes Roger Alford of The Associated Press.

The Rev. Dewayne Walker, pastor of Mount Olivet Baptist Church in Lexington, told the committee Medi-Share paid about $250,000 in medical bills for his wife, who had cancer. Medi-Share President Tony Meggs testified in court last year that the group has helped arrange to pay for some $25 million in medical bills for Kentuckians over the past 10 years, Alford reports.

The Benefits of Memory Care

For many people dealing with Alzheimer's or Dementia, the gradual loss of memory can not only be worrisome, but can be downright dangerous. While families try to help loved ones stay as independent as possible, there often comes a time when those suffering with memory loss need more help than loved ones can provide. If you've been trying to decide if assisted living is the right choice for your family, here are five benefits to professional memory care that may help you make your decision:

1.Meals

It's not unusual for those with memory issues to forget to feed themselves. Even if a loved one ensures that the kitchen is stocked, some patients simply forget to eat. On the other hand, some patients forget that they have already eaten, and eat again; often consuming double or triple necessary calories. In either case, eating issues can lead to weight loss or gain, illness and, in the case of weight gain, mobility issues. An assisted living facility will make sure that your loved one is eating three, nutritionally-sound meals each day.

2.Housekeeping

It's an unfortunate occurrence when those with memory care issues live in filth and clutter. Accumulation of dust and dirt can exacerbate respiratory illnesses, and clutter can cause trips and falls. Assisted living facilities have housekeepers on staff that will ensure your loved one's living environment is kept neat and clean. Not only will your loved one's room be kept clean, but their laundry will be washed as well. Having a clean living environment will greatly reduce the risk of illness or injury to your family member.

3.Personal Hygiene

People with memory care issues often neglect their personal hygiene, simply because it doesn't cross their mind to shower. When your loved one moved into an assisted living facility, his or her personal hygiene will never be forgotten. Your family member will receive help with incontinence issues, toileting and bathing. Proper hygiene is essential in maintaining healthy skin, an important part of the overall health of your loved one.

4.Transportation

It can be difficult for even the most dedicated family members to transport a loved one back and forth to scheduled appointments. When your loved one moves into an assisted living facility, he or she will be safely transported to every necessary medical appointment that takes place off-site. Additionally, residents are often transported to field trips of sorts, or scheduled outings designed to keep residents active and involved. In fact, seniors in assisted living facilities are often more active than those who continue to live on their own.

5.Family Support

Caregivers often forget about themselves and their own health when looking after a loved one with memory issues. When your family member moves into an assisted living facility, he or she won't be the only one getting support. Assisted living facilities provide both support and education for family members of residents. If you have questions or need help adjusting, the professional staff will be there for you.

It can be a difficult decision to move your loved one into an assisted living facility. You must ask yourself if your family member, and your family, will benefit more by continued home care or by the transition to assisted living. There's nothing to feel guilty about when considering an assisted living facility for your loved one; the benefits far outweigh any discomfort you're feeling.

Georgia Manor is a freelance writer nationwide. To learn more about safe and fun senior living, check out the several assisted living information sites available on the internet.

Kasich of Ohio is fifth Republican governor to accept Medicaid expansion; he and others cite need to protect rural hospitals, poor

Several Republican governors have decided to expand Medicaid under federal health-care reform, saying their conservative principles were outweighed by a need to protect their state's rural hospitals and low-income people. Yesterday, the governor of one of the biggest states got on the bandwagon.

John Kasich of Ohio joined Jan Brewer of Arizona, Brian Sandoval of Nevada, Susana Martinez of New Mexico and Jack Dalrymple of North Dakota in saying they will take heavy federal subsidies to expand the program to households with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty threshold.

Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear of Kentucky has said he wants to expand Medicaid if Kentucky can afford it, and he expects to get cost estimates around the end of March.

While Kasich is not an "Obamacare" supporter, he said expanding Medicaid “makes great sense for Ohio” because it would save $235 million over the next two years and free about $100 million in local funds for mental-health and addiction services, reports The Columbus Dispatch.

Kasich said the decision could extend health coverage to as many as 578,000 uninsured Ohio residents, and could keep everyone else’s health insurance premiums down because there won’t be so many uninsured people going to emergency rooms for their medical care, reports David Nather of Politico.

Kasich emphasized that he would like to see the 2010 law repealed, but the federal money it would pump into the state — about $13 billion over the next seven years — was too much to pass up, reports Stateline. The federal government will pay the full cost of expansion through 2016; then  states will have to pitch in, rising to a limit of 10 percent by 2020.

Brewer likewise said it doesn't make sense for Arizona to pass up federal dollars, reports Howard Fischer of the Arizona Daily Sun. "We will protect rural and safety-net hospitals from being pushed to the brink by growing their cost in caring for the uninsured," Brewer said. She also said the expansion will create enormous economic benefit, inject $2 billion into the Arizona economy, save and create thousands of jobs and provide health care to hundreds of thousands of low-income individuals, reports Fischer.

Brewer said going along with expansion will save Arizona money because the costs of providing care to the uninsured are not simply absorbed by hospitals but passed along through increased insurance premiums. Supporters of the expansion hope the five Republicans' decisions will prompt more GOP governors to follow suit. Twenty governors from both political parties are still undecided. (Read more)

Health-care law addresses the most common chronic health problem in children, tooth decay, by requiring coverage for kids

Tooth decay is children's most common chronic health problem, and the 2010 federal health-care law addresses this problem by requiring insurers to cover pediatric dental services. But some advocates are concerned that the new benefits may not be sufficiently comprehensive or affordable, Michelle Andrews writes for The Washington Post.

She notes that by the time children enter kindergarten, more than a quarter of them have decay in their baby teeth. As they age, the problem gets worse and nearly 68 percent of those age 16 to 19 have decay in their permanent teeth, according the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 
   
Beginning next year, the Affordable Care Act requires individual and small-group health plans cover pediatric dental services, unless a plan has a specific exemption under the law. Those services are already part of the Medicaid benefit package, but most Kentucky dentists don't accept Medicaid.
For the expansion to private insurance, "Coverage requirements will be determined by each state within guidelines set by the federal Department of Health and Human Services," Andrews writes.

Jill Midkiff, chief spokesperson for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said Kentucky is awaiting the publication of the final rule from HHS, which will define essential health benefits for each state and provide further guidance relating to coverage of benefits. Although no specific publication date for this rule has been announced, she said its release is expected within the next several weeks to allow insurers to modify existing health plans to be made available to individuals and small businesses for purchase through health exchanges by Oct. 1. (Read more)

What are the Costs of Urgent Healthcare?

Urgent care facilities provide walk-in medical care for minor medical conditions that do not require emergency treatment. Urgent care facilities operate on a model based on efficiency, so the costs for medical care at these facilities are significantly lower than costs for similar treatments at hospital emergency rooms. Urgent care facilities are privately run, thus unlike emergency room hospitals, they are not required to be open 24 hours a day, and they can set their own business hours. Because they are privately owned businesses, they deliver medical care on a business model, but the primary advantage of this is lower costs. Urgent care facilities have all the staff on hand to handle a variety of medical concerns and appointments are not necessary to see a physician.

Will They Accept My Insurance?

Because urgent care facilities are operated in order to be cost effective, they try as much as possible to streamline the billing process. Most insurance plans are accepted by urgent care facilities. In fact, because treatments at emergency rooms are generally more costly, insurers prefer their customers to go to urgent care clinics. It can be a good idea to call ahead to an urgent care facility to make sure they will accept an insurance plan. The only insurance plan that may not be accepted is Medicaid. Again, this is largely a concern about the cost. The cost of billing and collecting from Medicaid is usually higher than with a commercial insurance company; thus, an urgent care facility will prefer to bill directly to the customer instead if they have Medicaid.

Payment Options

Urgent care facilities are great at providing many payment options for their customers. In addition to accepting most insurance plans, they also offer payment plans for their services, and can occasionally offer coupons and specials for services like preventive testing and seasonal flu vaccines. If a customer chooses to initiate a payment plan, generally a nominal downpayment is required, and no interest is incurred so long as payments are not in default. Some urgent care facilities even provide self-pay discounts for customers who choose to pay without using their insurance.

How Do Urgent Care Costs Compare With Emergency Room Treatment?

By and large, urgent care treatment is cheaper than emergency room treatment. For a host of medical conditions not requiring emergency medical care, urgent care facilities are the best option for those concerned about the costs of medical care. Generally, treatment at an urgent care facility is one half to one quarter of the cost of emergency room treatment. For example, the cost of getting allergy treatment at an urgent care facility is around $97. Compare this to a cost of $345 for the same treatment at an emergency room. Sinusitis is a common problem for people with allergy troubles. The cost of seeing a physician for sinusitis at an urgent care facility can be around $112; however, at an emergency room the cost is a whopping $617.

The Bottom Line

What people may not realize is that emergency rooms bill patients for more than just a doctor's diagnosis. Patients are billed for the use of the facility, doctors are contracted to staff emergency rooms, and insurance companies consider emergency rooms specialty treatment resulting in higher copays. When compared to urgent care facilities, emergency rooms do not provide a good value for the service they render, and urgent care facilities offer cheaper medical costs along with good customer service.

Sheri Clark writes for healthcare blogs. If you're curious about urgent care facilities, read more about how urgent care clinics work.

Northern Kentucky included in Medicaid's pilot program to increase data about quality of health care

The Health Improvement Collaborative of Greater Cincinnati, which includes much of Northern Kentucky, is included as one of three regions to participate in a program designed to bolster availability of information about doctors, hospitals and health care providers, the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced. According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the new program will match private data with Medicare claims data to create comprehensive reports on provider performance.  The other two organizations selected are Kansas City Quality Improvement Consortium and the Oregon Health Care Quality Corporation.

The program will place quality markers on those receiving Medicare claims data. For example, they must show that they can manage and process consumer-focused data, can prevent breaches of protected health information and that they are working with private insurers in order to produce comprehensive reports on provider performance. The program is also intended to protect patient privacy, enforcing strong penalties if Medicare data is misued.
(Read more)

Study: Small business owners see bottom-line benefit from employee health and wellness programs

A study of small businesses has found that three out of four offering health and wellness programs to their employees believe the initiatives are good for their bottom line. The study, conducted by the National Small Business Association and Humana Inc., asked more than 1,000 small-business owners about their employees' health and wellness needs and what barriers they face in supplying them.  An overwhelming 93 percent said they considered their employees’ physical and mental health to be important to their financial results.

However, only one-third expressed confidence in their ability to help employees manage their well-being with initiatives aimed at encouraging them to make healthier choices such as getting preventative care, eating right and exercising.

Another key finding was that more than half of the small-business owners reported that they did not have sufficient information to introduce health and wellness programs to their employees. On the other hand, startups -- those companies less than 10 years old -- found ways to do so, with 63 percent having already adopted health and wellness programs.

“Wellness solutions likely will be an increasingly important part of the employee value proposition,” said Jerry Ganoni, President of Humana’s Small Business Division. “It will be crucial for the industry to focus on providing small-business owners with the information they need to make the wellness decisions necessary to recruit and retain employees while making an a meaningful impact on their bottom lines.”  (Read more, from The Lane Report)

Types of Life Insurance Policies

Insurance plays a critical part in our lives these days. It is counted as an added security to your family in the later years. It gives protection to your families and also a handsome amount of money when the insured person is dead according to the given policies. There are different insurance plans accordion to the requirement of the customer to walk through different life phases.

Term Insurance

Plans for term insurance are one of the simplest and cheapest insurance policies and this plan provides coverage for fewer periods then in this way the benefits can only be derived for less time. Once it will get matured you will no longer eligible for any profits or allowances. But if the insurance holder dies in between the time period of insurance policy then the specific lump sum amount is given to the family member or the guarantor. The maximum life for the policy is up to 30 years.

Endowment Insurance Plans

These are best saving plans and provide certain amount of money at the end of specific term. It also provides the certain amount after death as well. The clients will also get added benefits once the plan gets matured and it matures usually after 15, 20 years or certain age limit.

Unit Linked Insurance Plans

ULIP plans are very popular as it provides benefit of mutual benefits as well as life insurance benefits. The certain part of your premium gets invested into equities, bonds and debt funds and the rest of the amount is used in life coverage. But this plan runs according to the risks related to the stock market, so be ready to take the risk if you are applying for this plan.

Pension Plans

Pension plans give you satisfactory results to lead a happy life after your retirement. This is nothing but saves money which will help you to provide pension days from the money saved during their earning period. The policy holder can get annuity in later years by providing lump sum amount or through premiums.

Money-Back Plan

Money-back plan is the best for people who look for both insurance coverage and savings. This policy asks you to pay certain premiums for fixed period. You are benefited with reasonable rate of returns during the process along with the finally lump sum return.

General Benefits

The above mentioned life insurance policies serve as a boon to several uncertainties. Some general benefits of these plans include

Almost all the above mentioned life insurance policies serve as a boon to face the uncertainties in life boldly. Some of the general benefits of these plans include death benefits because most of the insurance policies provide protection by paying lump sum amount to the family in case of unfortunate death of the nominee. Also the maturity benefits such as the guaranteed money back with other added benefits according to the plan and also they give options to withdraw certain money during regular interval.

Author Bio: Anna is a person with a passion for writing. She has written many articles on various topics as Kredittkort, for more information you can check her other blogs.

By Anna Cleanthous

KET talks with experts on heart disease and health reform tonight

Some nationally recognized heart specialists will speak directly to Kentuckians about heart disease tonight on the season premiere of Health Three60 on KET. Cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States -- and, perhaps surprisingly, in women -- will get a thorough examination. The show will take on the history of the disease, what women should know about the disease and what the future looks like for all of us. Host Renee Shaw will explore the history of cardiac surgery and the development of the artificial heart with Dr. Laman Gray, Jr. cardiovascular surgeon and medical director at the Cardiovascular Innovation Institute. Gray will also discuss how the death rate from heart disease has decreased even as the increase has gone up.

Guests will also include Dr. Joey Maggard, executive director of the Central Kentucky Chapter of the American Heart Association; Dr. Melissa Walton-Shirley, cardiologist with Cardiology Associates in Glasgow; Mark Rucker, recipient of the American Heart Association Lifestyle Change Award; Dr. Paula Hollingsworth, cardiologist at Central Baptist Hospital in Lexington; and, James B. Hoving, Ph.D., division chief of cardiosvascula therapeutics at the Cardiovascular Innovation Institute. Health Three60 airs at 9 p.m. EDT.

Immediately preceding Health Three60, on this week's edition of Kentucky Tonight, host Bill Goodman and guests will discuss health care and health care reform.  Scheduled guests include State Sen. Tom Buford, R-Nicholasville, chair of the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee; State Rep. Mary Lou Marzian, D-Louisville, vice chair of the House Budget Review Subcommittee on Human Resources; Dr. Ralph Alvarado, a Winchester internist and pediatrician; and Dr. Barbara Casper, an internist and University of Louisville professor of medicine. Kentucky Tonight airs at 8 EDT.