Health & Welfare Committee Gets Ear full in Run-up to January Legislative Session ================ I left H&W today with a headache. How can one committee wrap its head around such disparate issues as Opiate abuse; traumatic brain injury; state preparation for an Ebola outbreak; hospital and healthcare associated infections -- AND next years block grant for temporary assistance for needy families? These were our agenda items, along with the half-dozen Admin Regs to be adopted. It will come as no surprise to you that opiate addiction is some three times that of the national average. Heroin has become the flavor of the month: its cheap, readily accessible, highly addictive and, thus far, we have yet to catch up to its demand in terms of countering that growing market. The Affordable Care Act -- ObamaCare -- is providing millions in support to the state due to its providing coverage for medicaid and behavioral health services. Likewise, there is a steady and frightening rise in the number of traumatic brain injuries in the state. One new one every 15 minutes! Roughly 5% of our state population - some 214K people - have a brain injury. That means, 97 of our fellow citizens are taken to the hospital EVERY DAY for a head/brain related injury! Absent the healthcare coverage provided by the ACA, the cost for hospitalization alone is nearly $265M. I love serving on this committee, Chaired mist ably by Rep. Tom Burch. However, the emotional drain, the heart wrenching stories of families in crisis; the sometimes intractable nature of the problems we as Kentuckians face is at times a cold slap in the face. We have so far to go -- and those who will benefit the most are, too often, the very ones fighting against us! Well, at least it appears Ebola is NOT likely to be added to the laundry list of maladies You and I face everyday... But Im not going to say anything about that just yet. Its got a 21 day incubation period...!
Posted on: Wed, 19 Nov 2014 19:04:56 +0000
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