What's the status of a health insurance exchange in Kentucky?

By Tara Kaprowy
Kentucky Health News

At the end of February, Kentucky received $57.8 million in federal funds to help set up a health insurance exchange or marketplace under federal health-care reform. Officials say all the money will be used to plan for a potential exchange, even though lawmakers have made no move to introduce legislation to create one.

Jill Midkiff, spokeswoman for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services, said Kentucky has hired a planning vendor "to develop a list of detailed requirements and a potential operating model that is specific to Kentucky's information systems environment."

The exchange is meant to act as a marketplace in which individuals and employees of small businesses can shop and compare several plans that have coverage packages pre-approved by the state and federal governments. Medicaid recipients will also be able to get their insurance from the exchange. Right now, it has not been decided what plans will be offered, Midkiff said. It's also unknown if the plans in the system will be available to everyone or if there will be some plans only available to Medicaid recipients and some only for individuals who qualify.

Who would qualify? People with an income of up to 133 percent above the federal poverty level — now $14,404 for individuals and $29,326 for a family of four — will qualify for Medicaid starting in 2014. Also, the federal government will give subsidies to help Americans whose income is up to 400 percent above the poverty level. With them, they must buy private coverage through the exchanges.

Kentucky has until Jan. 1, 2013 to create a state-based exchange. If lawmakers do not introduce and pass legislation that will create an exchange, the state has two options. It can allow the federal government to operate the exchange or Gov. Steve Beshear can issue an executive order to create one. Beshear "has taken a wait and see approach to exchange planning, neither explicitly endorsing nor refusing to implement a state-run exchange," reads a state-exchange profile put together by the Henry J. Kaiser Foundation.

Kentucky started planning for an exchange in September 2010 and received a total of $8.6 million to do so prior to receiving the $57.8 million grant. Midkiff pointed out most of the activities for this latest grant "must be completed regardless of whether the state or federal government operates the exchange."

Last September, state officials said the delay in setting up an exchange was largely because the federal government had not decided what benefits needed to be offered in the exchange. In December, the Obama administration put the onus on states to come up with their own regulations pertaining to what benefits insurance companies have to offer. When asked if the change has allowed Kentucky to move forward, Midkiff said the Cabinet for Health and Family Services is working with the Department of Insurance to review the new dictate.

While the state does not have an estimate of how many people will use the exchange, Julia Costich, chair of the Department of Health Services Management at the University of Kentucky, said her research shows about 400,000 Kentuckians will be eligible for federal subsidies. After coverage expands, she estimates about 1.1 million Kentuckians will be eligible for Medicaid.

So far, 30 states and the District of Columbia have received grants to set up exchanges. Of those, only 13 and D.C. have adopted a plan for how to proceed.

Kentucky Health News is a service of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, based in the School of Journalism and Telecommunications at the University of Kentucky, with support from the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky.

More young kids going under anesthesia to fix bad dental problems

Preschoolers are increasingly having to undergo extensive surgery to get fix the cavities they've gotten from lack of brushing, get root canals or have teeth extracted.

Five years ago, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found the number of preschoolers with cavities had increased — the first time that had happened in 40 years. "Dentists nationwide say they are seeing more preschoolers at all income levels with 6 to 10 cavities or more," reports Catherine Saint Louis for The New York Times. "The level of decay, they added, is so severe that they often recommend using general anesthesia because young children are unlikely to sit through such extensive procedures while they are awake." (Times photo by Stuart Isett)

"We have had a huge increase in kids going to the operating room," said Dr. Jonathan Shenkin, a pediatric dentist in Augusta, Me., and a spokesman for the American Dental Association. "We're treating more kids more aggressively earlier."

Causes for the increase can be linked to lots of snacking and juice or other sugary drinks before bedtime; kids drinking bottled water rather than tap water; a lack of knowledge that infants should go to the dentist by age 1 to be assessed for cavity risk.

Parents can sometimes confused dental decay with teething and don't realize there is a problem until teeth break or the pain becomes so bad the child cannot sleep. (Read more)

Bill passed that would require fingerprint background checks at nursing homes

The state House has approved a bill requiring long-term care facilities to run background checks using fingerprinting technology, a move that would be mostly funded by a $3 million federal grant. The state will kick in $1 million.

The House approved the measure 62-36, though many lawmakers are worried about who is going to pay for the effort when the grant runs out in three years. Background checks cost between $60 and $80.

Now, long-term care facilities must "do a name-based background check," reports Beth Musgrave for the Lexington Herald-Leader. "However, those background checks only look at state records. A fingerprint check can search nationally for criminal records."

Rep. Carl Rollins, D-Midway, said he was unsure if House Bill 250 will pass in the Republican-controlled Senate. (Read more)

Columnist wants 'healthy labels, not stealthy labels' on groceries

Research has shown shoppers spend an average of just 1 second looking at the nutrition labels on food packages, which lends credence to an argument that the labels need to be easier to digest in a short amount of time.

In January last year, the Grocery Manufacturers Association said its members would soon start adding nutrition information to the front of packages showcasing the quantity of calories, saturated fats, sodium, sugar and nutrients inside, writes Ezekiel J. Emanuel in a column for The New York Times: "Not much happened until September, when the GMA announced that 'Facts up Front' would be the theme for the initiative, and began a second public relations blitz about the forthcoming labels."

But since then, nothing has changed. Emanuel points to failed negotiations between the GMA and the federal government that happened in fall and early winter of 2010 in which the Food and Drug Administration wanted calories, salts, sugars and saturated fats put on the front of labels. The GMA was amenable to the idea, but wanted to also post positive information about vitamins and minerals. The government balked, and negotiations fell through.

But the GMA "knew it had to do something, or risk a more stringent label rule in the future," Emanuel writes. "So it announced its own voluntary label." That label will be flawed, Emanuel argues, because "There is no reason to include positive information on Vitamin C or fiber along with the crucial information on fats, salt and calories. A lack of fiber doesn't lead to the same health crisis as an overdose of salt. And including so many facts results in information overload, diluting the label's impact. A cynic might say that is precisely what the GMA wants."

Walmart has responded by creating its own symbol system called "Great for You," which Emanuel says is a step in the right direction, "but if every company and grocer goes the independent Walmart way, we could end up with many different, confusing icons." (Read more)

How to Get Your Boyfriend Back in Your Life

One day not too long ago you were on top of the world. Things were finally coming together and your future looked bright. All was not perfect but it seemed like there was nothing you and your boyfriend couldn't conquer. Then, you woke up one day and your dream had become a nightmare and you were trying to figure out how to get your boyfriend back in your life.

There are truly couples who are not made to be together. If there are clear warning signs that a relationship is not working out such as physical or verbal abuse or total lack of respect, trust or commitment you may not really want to know how to get your boyfriend back in your life.

If you are not in such a situation and really feel like you and your ex boyfriend belong together, then I'm rooting for you to get back together. I realize how difficult it is to be apart from someone your heart yearns for. At times all you can think about is your ex. It's hard to focus at work as you find yourself thinking about how to get your boyfriend back in your life.

So how to get your boyfriend back in your life is the question you have been asking yourself and here are some things I would suggest to give you a fighting chance.

Work on you first.

This has nothing to do with your boyfriend but has everything to do with you dealing with your emotional pain. It's important that you don't let the fact that your relationship ended make you feel rejected and unworthy of getting back with your ex boyfriend or someone else for that matter. You need to be confident and not appear to be needy or desperate. Often times relationships end when one person becomes too serious and wants the relationship to move to the next level. This will help you figure out how to get your ex boyfriend back in your life.

It's important for your ex boyfriend to realize that he is not the only fish in the sea and that you love and respect yourself too much to chase after him. You want to focus on those things you love to do and probably did before you were involved with him. Perhaps you hung out with your girlfriends or went to a dance class or gym a few times a week. Instead of letting how to get your boyfriend back in your life consume your day and nights focus on doing the things that you enjoy. This will help you get your ex boyfriend back in your life, but only if you choose too.

The next thing you want to do after you have spent some time building up yourself is reach out to your ex boyfriend. The key is to make sure that initial contact is simple and not too serious. For example, a call to your ex boyfriend and let him know that it's been a while since you talked and you were just checking to see how things are going. The conversation should be light hearted, fun and interesting. You can slip in some of the wonderful things you have been doing lately. This will get him curious and he will realize that you aren't the same person he broke up with and he may want to know more.

The first contact shouldn't be too long. You don't want to make him think that you have been sitting around thinking about how to get my ex boyfriend back in my life. You need to be in control of what you talk about and for how long.

If the first contact goes well you may want to invite your ex boyfriend out for a latte or afternoon brunch to catch up on old times. Again, the goal is to let him see what he is missing and how you are not the same person you were when you broke-up.

If the first contact didn't go as well as you would have liked, don't get too discouraged. Every relationship is different and your ex boyfriend may need a little more time and space. Don't try to smother him with calls, emails or text messages. This is exactly what you don't want to do to get your ex boyfriend back in your life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3768068

How to Get Your Boyfriend Back in Less Than a Week!

If you just broke up, you were probably in that initial stage of confusion, loneliness, and possibly even anger. After that though, you have probably moved on into the research phase where you desperately look for advice on how to get your boyfriend back.

I have good news and bad news. The good news is that it is possible to get him back. The bad news is that it will take some work on your part. As a guy, I will admit that sometimes we do things without thinking about it, and we will regret it later on....but usually most guys will NOT do something about it. If we break up and regret it, we don't always try to save the relationship. So, if you want to get him back, it is possible, but you will have to take the first steps. Here are some tips to help you understand how to get boyfriend back.

First of all, you need to cut off communication. He is probably upset right now and needs some time to cool off and think about the situation, so give him this time. Do NOT call him, email him, or send him text messages. Just give it a rest and show him that you are fine without him (at least that's what you want him to think). Contacting him immediately could actually make the situation worse.

Also you need to remember to be strong. You want to show him that you are fine without him to get him a little jealous. So cry when you need to, but try not to let others see you, especially your ex. Try not to stay inside either. Go out with friend and live your life as you normally would.

Another thing you need to consider if you want to know how to get boyfriend back is that you might need to change. There is probably a reason he left you (sorry), and you will need to change that if you want to save your relationship. It could just be one little habit or something that needs adjusted. Trust me, even the smallest changes can have a HUGE impact on a relationship.

These steps might not seem that easy to do, but I warned you that it would take some effort if you want to get him back. Hopefully this advice is enough to get you thinking about how to get your boyfriend back [http://www.squidoo.com/HowToWinBackTheLoveOfYourLife] though. If you need more advice you can check out my website. There are some more tips and a couple videos that you may find useful. There is also a list of guides that are guaranteed to help you.

Did you know that it is possible to save ANY relationship if you try hard enough? Just ask yourself how much you love your ex, and how much effort you are willing to spend on saving your relationship. If you are serious about him, then you can Click Here [http://www.squidoo.com/HowToWinBackTheLoveOfYourLife] to discover how to get boyfriend back as soon as possible!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1373414

Kim K Donates to Charity Twice the Value of Her Wedding Gifts

When Kim Kardashian divorced Kris Humphries after just 72 days of marriage, many people wondered what the couple would do with the $100,000 worth of wedding gifts they received. Well Kim has finally settled on a way of turning her heartbreak into something more positive.

The reality star, 31, is donating twice the value of her wedding gifts to the Dream Foundation, a "wish-granting organization" for adults with life-threatening illnesses.