Smokers in Kentucky

According to the 2008 Kentucky Health Issues Poll, 31% of Kentucky adults were current smokers, compared to the national average of 21%.

In general, as age, income, or education level increased, the percentage of Kentucky adults who smoke decreased. Smoking rates were highest in the Appalachian Area Development Districts at 36% and the lowest in the Louisville Area at 26%.

These data are from "What Kentuckians Think About Increasing the State Tax on Cigarettes" created from findings of the 2008 Kentucky Health Issues Poll. For more information, visit our website at: www.healthfoundation.org/khip.

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Ohio Office of Budget and Management’s Federal Grants Resource Center

The Ohio Office of Budget and Management provides a free electronic newsletter of federal grant information and data, and facilitates state agencies and other public and non-profit entities in identifying and competing for federal project grants.  For more information, please visit http://www.obm.ohio.gov/grants/.

Supreme Court of Ohio Lists Funding Opportunities

The Supreme Court of Ohio's Specialized Dockets Newsletter is a free monthly electronic newsletter that includes funding opportunities for specified dockets, such as drug courts, mental health courts, etc.  To view a sample newsletter and find out how to subscribe, please visit http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/spec_dockets/resources/newsletter.asp.

Foundation Center Website

Philanthropy News Digest posts requests for proposals related to health at http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_health.jhtml.

ACCESS TO CARE: 23% of Kentucky Adults Lacked Health Insurance in Early 2008

About 23% of Kentucky adults lacked health insurance in early 2008, according to the recently released Kentucky Health Issues Poll. The poll, funded by the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati and the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, included responses from 1,632 Kentucky adults in January and February. The poll found that 31% of respondents lacked health insurance at some point in the previous 12 months and that 4.3% received coverage through Medicaid. In Northern Kentucky, 11.1% of respondents lacked health insurance in early 2008, and 8.8% received coverage through Medicaid, the poll found. The poll found that younger, lower-income and less-educated respondents were more likely to lack health insurance. According to the poll, 91% of respondents said that they favor access to affordable, quality health care for all U.S. residents, and 72% said that they would pay higher taxes or support a larger role for the federal government to provide such care. Ann McCracken, director of evaluation for the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, said, "That tells you how important the issue is to people in Kentucky" (O'Farrell, Northern Kentucky Enquirer, 4/22). The Northern Kentucky Enquirer article is available at http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20080422/NEWS0103/804220387.

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ACCESS TO CARE: House Panel OKs Bill To Extend Program

The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on Wednesday by voice vote approved a bill (HR 1343) that would reauthorize the federal community health centers program. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas), would reauthorize the program through fiscal year 2012. In addition, the bill would allow limited liability protection for physicians who volunteer at community health centers and extend liability protections to employees who travel to provide emergency care. Subcommittee Chair Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) said, "This program will strengthen our community health centers and help them fulfill the role they play in guaranteeing access to high-quality health care services." The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee approved similar legislation (S 901) in November 2007 (Nylen, CQ HealthBeat, 4/23).

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ACCESS TO CARE: Indiana Likely To Receive CMS Approval for Expansion of Hoosier Healthwise

Indiana Family and Social Services Secretary Mitch Roob last week said that he expects CMS by the end of the month to approve an expansion of Hoosier Healthwise to cover children in families with annual incomes as much as 250% of the federal poverty level. Hoosier Healthwise -- which provides health insurance at no cost for children who qualify for Medicaid and offers coverage at limited cost for children who qualify for SCHIP -- currently covers children in families with annual incomes as much as 200% of the poverty level. The SCHIP portion of Hoosier Healthwise charges premiums that range from $22 to $50 based on the annual income and number of children in families. Roob last week discussed the expansion with CMS officials. He said, "We're very optimistic" that CMS will approve the expansion, which would take effect on Oct. 1. According to Roob, the expansion would increase enrollment in Hoosier Healthwise by between 7,000 and 10,000 children (Kusmer, AP/Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, 4/22). In related news, Indiana hopes to use a $1.61 million grant from CMS for a program that seeks to reduce the number of cases in which Medicaid beneficiaries visit emergency departments for routine care. The program, which will target Indianapolis and Lafayette, also seeks to increase use of family physicians and health clinics and improve diagnoses of mental health conditions among Medicaid beneficiaries. CMS over the next two years will award $50 million to states for such programs (Kusmer, AP/Louisville Courier-Journal, 4/24). The AP/Fort Wayne News Sentinel article is available at http://www.news-sentinel.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080422/NEWS/804220340. The AP/Louisville Courier-Journal article is available at http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080424/NEWS02/804240431/1025/rss02.

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MEDICAID: House Approves Bill That Would Block New Rules

Despite a veto threat from the White House, the House on Wednesday voted 349-62 to approve legislation (HR 5613) that would place a one-year moratorium on seven new Medicaid regulations (Abrams, AP/Houston Chronicle, 4/24). The legislation would delay implementation of the regulations until April 1, 2009. Under the regulations, proposed by the Bush administration, states could not use federal Medicaid funds to help pay for physician training. The regulations also would place new limits on Medicaid reimbursements to hospitals and nursing homes operated by state and local governments and limit coverage of rehabilitation services for individuals with disabilities and mental illnesses. In addition, the bill would provide $25 million annually for efforts to fight Medicaid fraud (American Health Line, 4/23). The measure received about 75 more votes than the two-thirds necessary to override a veto (Lengell, Washington Times, 4/24). House Democrats also are considering adding language that mirrors the legislation into a war-funding bill, although some Democrats oppose including domestic spending in the measure (Clarke, CQ Today, 4/23). A Congressional Budget Office cost estimate found that a one-year delay of the rules would cost $1.7 billion (Washington Times, 4/24). The Bush administration says the regulations are necessary to stop states from improperly billing Medicaid for services. HHS spokesperson Kevin Schweers said the House vote "is a victory for budget gimmickry at the expense of U.S. taxpayers," adding, "The legislation invites states to bill federal taxpayers for what are state responsibilities" (Zhang, Wall Street Journal, 4/24). The AP/Houston Chronicle article is available at http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5725639.html. The Washington Times article is available at http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080424/NATION/66131048/1002.

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MENTAL HEALTH: Providers Use Grant for Program To Assess Services for Children in Allen County, Ohio

A group of mental health care providers at the Family Resources Centers in Lima, Ohio, has used a grant for a program that seeks to evaluate the services provided by physicians, agencies and others involved with primary and mental health care for children in Allen County. The program, which the group hopes to expand to Auglaize and Hardin counties, seeks to find gaps in services and duplicate services to help improve referrals for families. The group began the program with a grant from the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Allen, Auglaize and Hardin counties. Many families who seek help from the center lack health insurance or primary care physicians, and many providers have specialties or offer only certain services -- all of which can complicate efforts to obtain care for children. Susan Hawk, director of services at the centers, said, "We were seeing lots of kids come in here who weren't healthy and families that didn't know where to go," adding, "We need them physically healthy before we can work on the mental health." Victor Wei, a psychiatrist at the centers, said, "We're trying to increase the net that catches kids and make it a finer mesh, so when kids fall down and have trouble, they're not falling through that net," adding, "We want to help with the matchmaking process, so people don't get frustrated, and we want to increase access to care for children and families" (Rutz, Lima News, 4/23). The Lima News article is available at http://www.limaohio.com/story.php?IDnum=52204.

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MENTAL HEALTH: Not-for-Profit Group Receives $96K Grant for Awareness Programs at Northeast Ohio Colleges

The not-for-profit group Coleman Professional Services recently received a $96,000 grant from the Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation for a program that seeks to increase mental health awareness at colleges throughout Northeast Ohio. According to Meghan Urbon, a public relations executive for the group and coordinator of the College Campus Mental Health Awareness Initiative, the program seeks to increase awareness about symptoms of mental illnesses, available treatments and support resources. As part of the program, Coleman has contracted with the Institute for Health and Social Policy at the University of Akron to conduct 10 focus groups on college campuses throughout the region. Researchers will use the results of the focus groups to develop mental health awareness programs for four or five colleges in Portage, Stark, Summit and Trumbull counties by fall. Urbon said that the colleges could incorporate the mental health awareness programs into current programs, such as freshman orientation and diversity training. Rick Kellar, president of the foundation, said, "We're really, truly trying to create a new generation of thinking of how people with mental illness are perceived" (Powell, Akron Beacon Journal, 4/20). The Akron Beacon Journal article is available at http://www.ohio.com/news/17952409.html.

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SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDERS: Kentucky Gov. Beshear Signs Bill To Ban Alcohol Vaporizers

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear (D) on April 15 signed a bill that will prohibit the sale, purchase or use of alcohol vaporizers in the state. Alcohol vaporizers, which resemble asthma inhalers, allow users to consume alcohol through fumes. The law will take effect in July. Beshear said, "These devices have generated considerable concern from the law enforcement and medical communities due to the increased potential for extreme alcohol impairment or consuming alcohol in deadly concentrations." The liquor industry supports the law, according to Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers' Association. He said, "We wanted to make sure that they're banned in Kentucky before they become the problem that they're becoming elsewhere." Spirit Partners, which manufactures alcohol vaporizers, declined to comment on the law. According to a press release on the Spirit Partners Web site, "When used responsibly, there is no evidence to indicate greater risks from using" alcohol vaporizers than from drinking alcohol, although the devices "should be used no more than two 20-minute sessions within a 24-hour period." More than 20 states have enacted similar laws, according to Sherry Green, executive director of the National Alliance for Model State Drug Laws (Alford, Associated Press, 4/15). The Associated Press article is available at http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jSu22x9b6WYGHd1CBhqeuLoaJzBwD902KON0.

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TOBACCO: States Consider Tax Increases To Fund Health Care Plans

Several states have sought to increase their tobacco taxes to fund health care programs and address budget deficits, but efforts to increase tobacco taxes in some cases have prevented the passage of health care proposals. According to the Tobacco Merchants Association, in 2008, 22 state legislatures have considered bills that would increase tobacco taxes. Last year, 11 states enacted such legislation, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco estimates that state tobacco taxes raise $14.5 billion in revenue annually and that the federal tobacco tax raises $7.3 billion in revenue annually. "For some states, tobacco taxes are seen as a kind of magic bullet that are really quite different from less popular kinds of taxes," Richard Cauchi, a health policy analyst from NCSL, said, adding, "Legislators are able to argue that it's a sin tax, and the voters seem more accepting if they know the funds are going to be earmarked for some kind of health initiative." Supporters of tobacco taxes maintain that they reduce the rate of smoking among children and increase revenue. However, opponents maintain that tobacco taxes are unfair for smokers and encourage illegal sales. In addition, they maintain that tobacco taxes are not a stable source of revenue because they lead to decreased sales (Sack, New York Times, 4/21). The New York Times article is available at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/21/us/21tobacco.html?scp=1&sq=tobacco&st=nyt.

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TOBACCO: Hearing on Liquidation of Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation Funds Delayed

A Franklin County, Ohio, Common Pleas Court judge on Thursday delayed until May 8 a hearing to determine whether the state can liquidate funds from the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation to finance an economic stimulus package (Nash, Columbus Dispatch, 4/24). The foundation earlier this month filed a lawsuit that seeks to invalidate an emergency law that authorizes state Treasurer Richard Cordray to liquidate a $270 million endowment held by the organization and transfer $230 million, or 85%, of the funds into a $1.57 billion stimulus package proposed by Gov. Ted Strickland (D). In addition, the foundation requested a temporary injunction to prevent the transfer of the funds. The law requires Cordray to return $40 million to the foundation to pay for certain obligations. According to the lawsuit, state lawmakers added the language that authorized the liquidation of the endowment and the shift of the funds to a bill about plumbing inspection, a move that violates a state law against the attachment of unrelated riders to legislation (Greater Cincinnati Health Watch, 4/15). Officials for the foundation, which has a budget of $43 million for next year, said that programs financed in part by the organization have reduced smoking rates among Ohio children by 40% and among adults in the state by 15% since 2003 (Gadd, Zanesville Times Recorder, 4/24). The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has asked Ohio lawmakers to use a 75-cent-per-pack increase in the state cigarette tax to finance the stimulus package, but Strickland and leaders in the state Legislature have refused to consider the proposal (Columbus Dispatch, 4/24). The Columbus Dispatch article is available at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/04/24/copy/TOB24.ART_ART_04-24-08_B2_4KA10UE.html?sid=101. The Zanesville Times Recorder article is available at http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008804240302.

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TOBACCO: Many Kentucky Residents Support Tax Increase To Fund Expansion of Medicaid

Fifty-four percent of Kentucky residents support a 25-cent-per-pack increase in the state cigarette tax, and about half of those residents believe that the state should use the additional revenue to fund an expansion of Medicaid, according to the recently released Kentucky Health Issues Poll. The telephone poll, conducted by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati between Jan. 16 and Feb. 11, included responses from 1,632 Kentucky adults, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points. The poll, funded by the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati and the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, found that 74% of respondents who support a 25-cent-per-pack increase in the state cigarette tax favor as much as a 75-cent-per-pack increase. In Northern Kentucky, 64.4% of respondents support a 25-cent-per-pack increase in the state cigarette tax, compared with 47.1% of respondents in the Lexington area, the poll found. The poll also found that the Appalachian Area Development Districts had the highest smoking rates at 36% and that the Louisville area had the lowest rates at 26%. Kentucky, which currently has a 30-cent-per-pack state cigarette tax, has the highest adult smoking rate nationwide at 31%. Ann McCracken, director of evaluation for the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, said, "We constantly hear Kentucky is No. 1 in the number of current smokers," adding, "When tobacco is such a strong part of your agricultural history and your revenue, I don't think it's a big surprise to see those high rates" (O'Farrell, Northern Kentucky Enquirer, 4/16). The Northern Kentucky Enquirer article is available at http://news.nky.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20080416/NEWS0103/804160391.

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Greater Cincinnati Health Watch is published weekly by The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati. Regional and national stories are provided by American Health Line, a division of the Advisory Board Company.

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