Mostly along partisan lines, legislature overrides governor's veto of bill that would ban gender-affirming care to minors in Kentucky

Nineteen protesters opposing Senate Bill 150 in the gallery were arrested as the House voted to overrode the veto of a bill to ban gender-affirming care for Kentucky's youth. (Photo by Melissa Patrick) By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Republicans in the Kentucky House and Senate voted Wednesday to override Democratic...

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Coronavirus cases up 8.7% over prior week; Covid-19 deaths fall, but remain above month's average; state attributed 49 last week

Kentucky Department for Public Health graph, adapted by Kentucky Health News By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News New coronavirus cases in Kentucky rose last week and deaths attributed to Covid-19 went down, but remained above the recent average as Kentuckians continued to die from the disease. The state...

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Beshear vetoes bill that would ban gender-affirming care for Kentuckians under 18; Republicans are expected to override it

Gov. Andy Beshear (State photos) By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Gov. Andy Beshear has vetoed a far-reaching bill that would ban transgender minors' access to gender-affirming care and sets strict rules for teaching in Kentucky's schools about sexuality.  Senate Bill 150 would ban gender-affirming...

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Legislature takes away Medicaid dental, vision and hearing benefits Beshear granted; he indicates he will do it another way

By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News In October, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear announced the expansion of dental, vision and hearing benefits for 900,000 Kentucky adults on Medicaid. On March 16, 2023, the Republican-controlled General Assembly took a final vote to take those benefits away, calling the regulation used to...

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Opinon: Gender dysphoria may have a basis in human biology

By Kimberly Kennedy Most of us witnessed with horror the passage of anti-transgender bill SB150 by legislators who ignored overwhelming opposition. Since Gov. Andy Beshear is expected to veto it, our only recourse is to convince legislators not to override that veto. If you’re dubious, hear me out: We’ve left critical information...

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Seats available at Mar. 28 Recovery in the Workplace Conference

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New coronavirus cases dropped again last week in Kentucky, but state-recorded deaths from Covid-19 have another weekly jump

N.Y. Times map of new-case rates has Menifee County as a hot spot. By Melissa Patrick Ky. Health News Last week, new coronavirus cases in Kentucky dropped 20 percent from the week before, but deaths from Covid-19 increased again.  The state Department for Public Health attributed 66 more deaths to Covid-19 last...

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Get prepared now for Medicaid renewals, Kentucky

By Kennan Wethington President, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Kentucky When Covid-19 hit three years ago, the federal government responded with a series of actions made possible by declaring a Public Health Emergency, also called the PHE. One of these actions was to freeze a process called Medicaid renewal, allowing Medicaid members to remain in their plans regardless of status or eligibility changes. That will all change in the coming weeks. 260,000...

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Ernie Scott of Letcher County dies of rare brain aneurysm at 46; had been director of the State Office of Rural Health since 2013

Ernie Lee Scott Funeral services were held Friday for Ernie Scott, who was director of the State Office of Rural Health in the University of Kentucky Center of Excellence in Rural Health. He died of a rare brain aneurysm Sunday, March 12, at his home in Partridge, in Letcher County. He was 46. Scott started his career...

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Medical cannabis bill passes Senate, awaits House vote March 30

By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News A bill that would make medical marijuana legal for some in Kentucky has passed the state Senate for the first time and awaits a vote in the House, which has passed two similar bills in previous legislative sessions. Sen. Stephen West "It is time for Kentucky to join the other...

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Bill to ban gender-affirming care for youth goes to Beshear after advocates do an end-run to quash bipartisan Senate changes

By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News A revised bill with language to ban gender-affirming care for Kentucky's transgender youth moved quickly through both houses of the General Assembly Thursday and is on Gov. Andy Beshear's desk. Even if the Democratic governor vetoes the bill, as is expected, the supermajority of...

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Medical marijuana passes Senate committee, awaits floor vote

L-R: Eric Crawford, Jamie Montalvo, Sen. Stephen West and Chris Joffrion spoke in favor of West's medical marijuana bill in the Senate Licensing and Occupations Committee. (Legislative photo)   By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News For the first time, a bill to legalize and regulate medical...

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Long Covid update: There's still reason to avoid Covid-19, even if you've had it already; it's 'annoyingly stubborn,' expert says

By Katelyn Jetelina Your Local Epidemiologist Covid-19 is not the common cold. Here’s an effort to keep you up to date on long-Covid developments. What we knew: Long Covid after first infection was clearly a risk. The risk of long Covid after re-infection was not known. New info: In the U.K., risk of long Covid dropped after...

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Bill to let advance-practice registered nurses prescribe controlled substances on their own after four years passes, at long last

Image from Kentucky Association of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives Facebook page By Melissa PatrickKentucky Health News A bill to create a path for Kentucky's advanced-practice registered nurses to prescribe controlled substances independently has finally passed and is on its way to the governor's desk.  After...

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Freestanding birthing center bill hits a roadblock: the floor leader

By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Even though a Senate bill to remove the state's certificate of need requirements from freestanding birthing centers has passed out of the same committee twice, most recently in weaker form, and the House version of the bill has cleared a committee, the prospects of it becoming law have...

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In first Republican gubernatorial debate, Cameron says he could sign a medical-cannabis bill with 'a framework that is responsible'

Candidates who debated, clockwise from upper left: Somerset Mayor Alan Keck, Attorney General Daniel Cameron, state Auditor Mike Harmon, Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles (Spectrum News image) By Al Cross Kentucky Health News Attorney General Daniel Cameron said Tuesday night that he could sign a medical-marijuana...

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Learn how to nominate someone for recognition as a Healthy Kentucky Champion in a 30-minute webinar at noon ET March 21

Kentucky has many "Healthy Kentucky Champions," people recognized by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky for their efforts to make our state a healthier place. You may know someone worthy of this award, but don't know how to nominate them. Here's your chance to give them the recognition they deserve. The foundation will host "Health for a Change: Recognizing Healthy Kentucky Champions," a 30-minute webinar, at noon ET Tuesday, March 21. Viewers...

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On the third anniversary of the pandemic's arrival in Ky., the virus continues to infect and kill; state's new-case rate still 3rd in nation

New York Times graphs show panedmic's history in U.S. and states with top three new-case rates. By Melissa Patrick Kentucky Health News Today, March 6, marks the third anniversary of the announcement of Kentucky's first case of Covid-19, a disease that has infected more than 1.7 million Kentuckians and killed 18,130...

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