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Addiction recovery company under FBI investigation reducing staff, blames reimbursement cuts
BY: DEBORAH YETTER – SEPTEMBER 12, 2024 3:45 PM Kentucky’s largest provider of drug and alcohol treatment is cutting staff and restructuring some services, citing significant cuts in Medicaid reimbursement from the government health plan that covers almost all of its clients. Addiction Recovery Care, or ARC, based in Louisa, said in a statement Thursday that, as a…
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Updated COVID-19 vaccines approved; recommended for everyone aged 6 months and older
BY MELISSA PATRICK KY HEALTH NEWS As the number of COVID-19 infections grows in Kentucky, two updated mRNA COVID-19 vaccinations have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that are designed to better protect against the most recent strains of the virus. “We are very excited to see the latest COVID boosters approved,”…
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Dementia risk factors identified in new global report are all preventable – addressing them could reduce dementia rates by 45%
BY ERIC B. LARSON AND LAUREN GITLIN THE CONVERSATION Nearly half of all dementia cases could be delayed or prevented altogether by addressing 14 possible risk factors, including vision loss and high cholesterol. That is the key finding of a new study that we and our colleagues published in the journal The Lancet. Centers for…
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Martin County Health Department: Engaging youth in survey to address vaccine hesitancy in rural Appalachia
BY DOROTHY JOHNSON MARTIN CO HEALTH DEPT In central Appalachia, the Martin County Health Department faced unique challenges in promoting vaccine acceptance. Our community, characterized by limited access to hospitals and public transportation and a history of cultural exploitation, exhibits a deep-rooted mistrust in healthcare institutions. Additionally, the opioid epidemic has significantly impacted residents’ perspectives.…
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Addiction Recovery Care says it’s cooperating with FBI investigation into possible fraud
by Deborah Yetter, Kentucky Lantern August 2, 2024 Kentucky’s largest provider of addiction treatment services, Addiction Recovery Care, or ARC, is the subject of an FBI investigation into possible health care fraud, according to a July 30 post on a website of the federal agency’s Louisville office. ARC, which is funded almost entirely through Kentucky’s Medicaid…
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Lawmakers join KY’s largest addiction treatment provider to oppose Medicaid payment cuts
by Deborah Yetter, Kentucky Lantern July 30, 2024 FRANKFORT — The state’s largest provider of drug and alcohol treatment is warning that looming cuts in Medicaid reimbursement to some providers could damage efforts to curb addiction that has engulfed Kentucky — just as the state is showing improvements. “Kentucky has made significant strides in access…
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UK hosts national meeting to raise immunization rate for vaccine against cervical and other HPV cancers, in which Kentucky leads U.S.
BY MELISSA PATRICK KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS Kentucky leads the nation in the rate of cases of and deaths from cervical cancer, a disease that is largely preventable by a vaccine. The vaccine targets the human papillomavirus, which can cause cancers of the cervix, genitals, anus, neck and head. Kentucky also leads the nation in cancers…
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Don’t let ticks ruin a day outdoors: Take simple steps to prevent tick bites
As temperatures rise and the days get longer, people are spending more time hunting, fishing, hiking and enjoying the outdoors. This is also the time of year when tick activity is increasing across the state. The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources reminds the public to take precautions against tick bites, which can transmit…
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State’s health chief urges parents to get kids vaccinated against measles
BY MELISSA PATRICK KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS A highly contagious childhood disease that was declared eliminated in the United States in the year 2000 is making a comeback, largely driven by a declining vaccination rate in the country. “Unfortunately, as the measles vaccination rate has decreased, it’s just one of those things where folks are opting…