Public News Service

As Congress continues to push for cuts and additional work requirements for Medicaid eligibility, experts warn more Kentuckians could lose access to treatment for substance use disorders. The U.S. House has already passed a budget bill, which by some estimates would slash federal spending for Medicaid by around $700 billion. In 2020, nearly 30%…

Kentucky’s latest drug overdose fatality report showed a drop in deaths and for the first time, a decline in deaths among Black Kentuckians. Groups across the Commonwealth have been working to increase access to harm reduction services. Latosha Perry, executive director of the Louisville-based nonprofit EmpowHer with Open Arms, said her organization provides prevention…

May is National Foster Care Month, and Kentucky youth aging out of the system continue to experience high levels of housing instability and joblessness. Tatum Abel, coordinator for True Up Kentucky and former foster youth, said she became homeless after she turned 18 and was unaware of the resources available to help her transition…

Loss of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Mining Program will reverse decades of progress in preventing disease, injury and death among miners, experts said. Around 150 researchers are expected to be laid off next month, effectively shuttering the program. Steve Schafrik, associate professor of mine engineering at the University of Kentucky,…

May is National Foster Care Month, and Kentucky advocacy groups across the political spectrum say the state hasn’t done enough to keep kids out of foster care, including addressing the high number of parents who are incarcerated. A report from the conservative, free-market group Kentucky Forum for Rights, Economics and Education, or KY FREE,…

Congress is considering a proposal to slash $880 billion in Medicaid funding and experts said the cuts would be devastating for maternal and infant health in Kentucky. Rural women of childbearing age across the Commonwealth rely on Medicaid for health coverage, according to a new report from the Georgetown University Center for Children and…

After a devastating tornado ripped through southeastern Kentucky last Friday and Saturday, Gov. Andy Beshear asked for a federal disaster declaration and has spoken to the heads of U.S. Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. At a news conference over the weekend, Beshear said the current death toll in Southern Kentucky is…

Congress is mulling a budget and tax proposal which could leave states picking up more of the tab for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. More than 276,000 Kentucky households received SNAP benefits in April, according to the latest state data. The changes, with an estimated $230 billion in cuts, could cost Kentucky nearly double…

A new data dashboard from the Sierra Club showed more Kentuckians would be at risk for higher exposure to air and water pollution if the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency follows through on plans to loosen several environmental regulations. Targets for rollbacks include regional haze, greenhouse gas, mercury and air toxin standards, along with wastewater…

A new report from the Commonwealth Fund showed between 8,000 and 12,000 Kentuckians could lose their jobs as a result of the state implementing Medicaid work requirements, which would cause more people to lose health coverage. Leighton Ku, professor of health policy and management at George Washington University and co-author of the report, said…