A report released Monday says that only about half of the Kentucky children eligible for health insurance under a state Medicaid program are signed up for the coverage.The report was issued by a coalition of groups that includes Kentucky Youth Advocates. Executive Director Terry Brooks says it's estimated that some 60,000 Kentucky children are not getting coverage they could receive under the KCHIP program for low-income families."What we're talking about at the moment is not expanding KCHIP, not looking at possibilities of enlarging the group of kids who are on KCHIP, " Brooks said. "These are kids who qualify under existing criteria and simply are not enrolled."Brooks says reasons for the low enrollment include a cumbersome application process and lack of funds for the state to recruit youngsters for the program.Brooks says Governor Steve Beshear and other officials have pledged to study ways to improve the system. ¼/p>
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.