Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear has announced a plan aimed at boosting enrollment in the health insurance program for children known as KCHIP.Beshear says about 53,000 Kentucky children are covered under the program for low income working families that's funded by the state and federal goverments. However, 67,000 more eligible youngsters are not enrolled.The governor says his plan, unveiled in several stops across the state, including one at Whitney Young Elementary School in west Louisville, will eliminate the required face to face interview for enrollment and launch an outreach effort to inform parents about its availability.The plan, Beshear says, will require the state to put up more than $31 million over the next two years."It cost us more money for not having them enrolled in the program, and from this day forward, we're going out and we're going to find each and every one of these children we can find and get them involved in the KCHIP program," he said.Beshear says he and Health and Family Services Secretary Janie Miller will try to find funds in the existing budget to pay for the enrollment initiative.
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.