Our Priority: Improve the health of Kentucky's children. Click here to learn more!
Our Priority: Assure that all Kentuckian's have access to high quality, affordable health care. Click here to learn more!
Our Priority: Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of health care for Kentuckians. Click here to learn more!
Our Priority: Make prevention a priority for Kentucky's health policies and programs. Click here to learn more!
Kentucky Voices: Promoting Better Health in the Commonwealth. A series of short videos from real Kentuckians - patients, advocates and providers - sharing their personal healthcare stories. Click here to watch videos!

Kentucky Health Advocates to Urge Governor to Fund Smoking Cessation

« Back

Oct 14th, 2009

Kentucky Health Care Advocates Gather in Frankfort to Call Upon Governor to Fund Medicaid Quit Smoking Program
 

A broad coalition of Kentucky health care advocates will gather in Frankfort next Wednesday (Oct 21) to urge Governor Steve Beshear to fund a Medicaid smoking cessation program created by the legislature in 2007, but never funded.  Kentucky is one of only six states not to offer such a program. 

 

Passed into law in 2007, HB 337 created a comprehensive smoking cessation program, including counseling and medications, for the 285,000 smokers on Kentucky Medicaid.  Unfortunately, no funding was attached and the program has languished for two years as an unfunded mandate.

 

Kentucky has one of the nation’s highest adult smoking rates and highest smoking-related death rates in the country.  Yet, for approximately $5 million ($1.5 from Kentucky and $3.5 in Federal matching funds), the Commonwealth could save thousands of lives and reduce our state’s Medicaid costs by millions per year. 

 

WHERE:         Capitol Annex Room #125

                        Frankfort, KY

 

WHEN:           Wednesday, October 21

                        12:15 PM

 

WHO:             Representatives of the 27 coalition partners listed below

 

Advocacy Action Network

American Cancer Society

American Heart Association

American Lung Association in Kentucky

Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

Catholic Conference of Kentucky

Child Advocacy Today: A Medical-Legal Partnership for Kentucky’s Children

Covering Kentucky Kids and Families

Epilepsy Foundation of Kentuckiana

Kentucky Academy of Family Physicians

Kentucky Association of Nurse Anesthetists

Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives

Kentucky Council of Churches

Kentucky Equal Justice Center

Kentucky Health Departments Association

Kentucky Medical Association

Kentucky Nurses Association

Kentucky Primary Care Association

Kentucky Public Health Association

Kentucky Rural Health Association

Kentucky Voices for Health

Kentucky Youth Advocates

March of Dimes Kentucky Chapter

Mental Health America of Kentucky

NAMI Kentucky

National Kidney Foundation of Kentucky

Purchase Area Health Education Center

 

 

« Back

View All »

Coalition Partners