Wednesday October 15, 2025
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SubscribeCMS acknowledges completed submission of Medicaid waiver; opens thirty day federal comment period
Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services acknowledged the completed submission of the Section 1115 demonstration waiver known as Kentucky HEALTH (Helping to Engage and Achieve Long Term Health).
This innovative and common sense approach waiver will put Kentuckians on a path to better health outcomes, ensure long term sustainability of the Medicaid program and familiarize members with commercial insurance and prepare them for self-sufficiency.
“We are pleased that our Kentucky HEALTH plan has achieved this important milestone and we look forward to the public input that will be received over the next thirty days,” said Gov. Matt Bevin. “Kentucky HEALTH will allow us to provide Medicaid coverage that ensures better health outcomes for Kentuckians in a fiscally responsible manner. Without it, there will be no expanded Medicaid in Kentucky, so we look forward to working with CMS to ensure this coverage continues.”
There will now be a 30-day federal comment period similar to the public comment period Kentucky recently conducted. After that time, the Medicaid statute provides full authority for the Secretary of HHS to approve the waiver at any time.
Beginning next year, Kentucky taxpayers must begin paying a portion of Medicaid expansion costs for the first time. The prior administration unilaterally implemented Medicaid expansion without a plan to pay the additional $1.2 billion in new state spending for fiscal years 2017 through 2021 necessary for the program. Kentucky HEALTH will help improve health outcomes while ensuring the long term viability of the Medicaid program.
Qualified Participants Paid for Involvement in Research
Non-smokers aged 18-40 are sought for a research trial at the University of Louisville examining how flavors added to tobacco may lead to harmful outcomes.
The “Flavor and Addiction to e-Cigarette and Tobacco Toxicity” trial — or FACTT — is carried out by the American Heart Association Tobacco Research and Addiction Center at UofL. Principal investigator for the trial is Sanjay Srivastava, Ph.D., who also currently has ongoing toxicological studies of tobacco and nicotine to identify which chemicals are harmful and can be regulated.
The center was established in 2013 with a $10.7 million grant from the NIH and FDA. Under the leadership of director Aruni Bhatnagar, Ph.D., the center conducts multidisciplinary research to help shape the manufacture, distribution and marketing of tobacco products as they are regulated by the FDA.
UofL is building a body of research in the potential hazards of electronic cigarettes. In 2014, Bhatnagar chaired the 10-member panel of national experts that developed the American Heart Association’s first-ever policy statement on e-cigarettes, citing the paucity of research that has been conducted on the effects of e-cigarettes on health.
Another researcher with the UofL center, Daniel Conklin, Ph.D., is currently researching links between e-cigarette ingredients and cardiovascular conditions; Earlier this year, Conklin was invited to present his first findings showing the link between e-cigarette ingredients and atherosclerosis, or plaque buildup in the arteries, by the American Association for the Advancement of Science for its Annual Meeting.
To be eligible for the FACTT trial, participants must not only be non-smokers, they also must be unmedicated and otherwise healthy. The trial requires a one-time visit for a blood draw at the center in the Delia Baxter Building at 580 S. Preston St. on the UofL Health Sciences Center campus.
Qualified participants will receive a $30 prepaid spending card. For more details and to sign up for the trial, contact the center at ATRAC@louisville.edu or 502-852-4236.
In celebration of National Farmers Market Week, leaders of Louisville’s local food movement today launched the Double Dollars program at four Louisville farmers’ markets.
The program matches SNAP customers’ spending, dollar for dollar, up to $20, and aims to make shopping at farmers’ market more affordable for residents receiving government assistance. For example, if a resident uses a SNAP card to make a $10 purchase, the program will match that $10, giving the resident a new total of $20 to spend at the farmers’ market.
“Local food is for everyone, regardless of who you are, where you live, or how much money you make,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “I’m proud to have Double Dollars in our community and look forward to extending the program to additional farmers’ markets in our area.”
The Double Dollars program is funded by the Community Farm Alliance and is currently available at these farmers’ markets: Bardstown Road, Gray Street, Phoenix Hill and the newly opened South Pointe farmers’ market.
Using the program is simple. First, visit one of the four participating markets. Next, swipe the SNAP card for any dollar amount and receive wooden tokens, which will be matched dollar for dollar for the amount spent. Lastly, purchase healthy, locally grown, ready-to-eat items. Households can use Double Dollars to buy food intended to be prepared and eaten at home, such as breads and cereals, fruits and vegetables, honeys and jams, and meat and poultry.
“Making fresh, local produce affordable for those who are on a very limited budget pays back with a healthier community and a better quality of life for residents,” said Councilwoman Marianne Butler, District 15.
In Louisville, there are more than two dozen farmers’ markets operating during various times and days of the week. Continue reading
Hazmat crews are on scene in the 600 block of Main St where a chemical leak is spilling ammonia.
A shelter-in-place has been ordered for the NuLu area within the borders of I-65 and Witherspoon, Clay, and Market Streets.
Louisville MetroSafe/EMA issued the following:
THERE HAS BEEN A RELEASE OF A HAZARDOUS MATERIAL AT 609 EAST MAIN STREET. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS ASKING THAT PERSONS EAST OF I 65 NORTH OF MAIN STREET AND EAST TO CLAY STREET TO SHELTER IN PLACE AT THIS TIME.
Dr. Mark Jorrisch, a long-time practitioner in the field of addiction medicine, recently gave a presentation on the basics of opioid addiction. Dr. Jorrisch is the medical director for the Louisville Metro Methadone Opiate Rehabilitation Center (MORE) and the BHG Clinic in Lexington, KY.
Mosquitoes found in a south Louisville location have tested positive for West Nile virus.
Mosquito samples were collected in a trap as part of surveillance by the Department of Public Health and Wellness and tested by its laboratory. The mosquitoes testing positive for West Nile were collected in the 40214 ZIP code.
There have been no human cases of West Nile virus this year in Louisville. In 2015 there were three human cases.
But, “This is an indication that the West Nile virus is present again this year in Louisville,” said Dr. Joann Schulte, director of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. “West Nile virus is most commonly transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. You can reduce your risk of being infected with West Nile virus by using insect repellent and wearing protective clothing to prevent mosquito bites.”
Fewer than 1 in 150 people infected with West Nile virus will develop serious disease. About 1 in 5 people who are infected will develop a fever with other symptoms such as headache, body aches, joint pains, vomiting, diarrhea, or rash. Most people with this type of West Nile virus disease recover completely, but fatigue and weakness can last for weeks or months. Less than 1 percent of people who are infected will develop a serious neurologic illness such as encephalitis or meningitis (inflammation of the brain or surrounding tissues).The elderly and those with compromised immune systems are at increased risk for serious disease from West Nile virus.
The Department of Public Health and Wellness advises people to take the following precautions: Continue reading
The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness and its community partners are offering free stop smoking classes using the American Lung Association’s Freedom From Smoking (FFS) program. The 8-session program includes weekly support group meetings combined with the use of nicotine replacement products such as patches and gum. Participants receive free supplies of nicotine replacement products.
Advance registration for Freedom From Smoking classes is required. There are several ways to register: by phone 574 – STOP (574-7867), email StopSmoking@louisvilleky.gov or online.
Below is a list of upcoming classes in July and August.
August 3 – September 14, Wednesdays, 12:00 -1:00pm, Norton Healthcare, 1206 Spring St., Jeffersonville IN
August 17 – September 28, Wednesdays, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m., Norton Healthcare, 7430 Jefferson Blvd.
August 24 – October 5, Wednesdays, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m., Family Health Centers – Portland, 2215 Portland Ave.
August 30 – October 11, Tuesdays, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Seven Counties Services, 708 W. Magazine St.
August 31 – October 12, Wednesdays, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Family Health Center Fairdale, 1000 Neighborhood Pl.
September 7 – October 19, Wednesdays, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m., Norton Healthcare, 438 Adam Shepherd Pkwy., Shepherdsville KY
September 12 – October 24, Mondays, 12:00 – 1:00 p.m., Sullivan University College of Pharmacy, 2100 Gardner Ln.
September 14 – October 26, Wednesdays, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m., Park DuValle Community Health Center, 3015 Wilson Ave.
September 14 – October 26, Wednesdays, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., Park DuValle Community Health Center, 3015 Wilson Ave.
September 19 – October 31, Mondays, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Family Health Centers – East Broadway, 834 E. Broadway
September 20 – November 1, Tuesdays, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m., Family Health Centers – East Broadway, 834 E. Broadway
September 21 – November 2, Wednesdays, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m., Southwest Regional Library, 9725 Dixie Highway
September 27 – November 8, Tuesdays,11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Family Health Centers – East Broadway, 834 E. Broadway
