FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Kentuckians without employer-sponsored coverage or who don't qualify for Medicaid have until Dec. 15 to select a health-insurance plan during open enrollment.

Advocates urge consumers to be wary of short-term limited duration plans, which tend to be cheaper and typically last for three- to six-month intervals.

Emily Beauregard, executive director of Kentucky Voices for Health, said the problem is such plans don't come with the same protections and comprehensive coverage required under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

And she warned the so-called junk plans are being marketed aggressively on internet searches.

"In the past few years, more and more of these plans are being sold," Beauregard observed. "There are now more than 20 insurers in Kentucky selling these short-term, limited-duration plans."

She added the Trump administration has loosened restrictions and expanded short-term plans to up 364 days for three years, which Beauregard cautioned may further confuse consumers because they can appear similar to comprehensive coverage plans.

She worried residents on the hunt for health coverage during the coronavirus crisis might be duped into thinking their short-term plan has the same standards as plans sold on healthcare.gov.

Beauregard recommended Kentuckians who need guidance finding a plan can contact a local application assistant or "Kynector" (pronounced 'connecter'), and suggested going to kynect.ky.gov and using the kynector locator tool on the website to search by county or ZIP code for an expert near them.

"When people are shopping on healthcare.gov and they see the full price of a plan, they should contact a kynector, so that an individual can help them navigate what the plan options are, help them figure out what option might be best for them, and if they are eligible for subsidies," Beauregard recommended.

More than 200,000 Commonwealth residents currently are uninsured, but more than half qualify for financial assistance to help to pay for health coverage or qualify for free coverage through Medicaid.

More than 1.8 million Kentuckians already live with a pre-existing medical condition, and Beauregard theorized it's possible COVID-19 could be added to that list.

"You know, we don't know that COVID-19 is going to be considered a pre-existing condition, but it very well could," Beauregard remarked. "It's important for people to recognize they need full coverage. Covid-19 also has a lot of side effects, and a lot of unknown longer-term consequences."

She noted unlike marketplace insurance, junk plans can deny coverage for pre-existing conditions.

And she added next year it will be easier to search for health coverage.

Starting in 2021, residents will be able to use the state-based kynect.ky.gov to enroll in either Medicaid or an ACA marketplace plan, regardless of income.


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People who are part of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, will be dropped from their CoveredCA health plans at the end of August.

The move comes after the Trump administration changed a Biden-era definition of "lawfully present" to revoke health care eligibility for thousands of immigrants.

Christine Smith, policy and legislative advocate for the nonprofit Health Access California, said people only have a few weeks to get medical appointments in before their coverage ends.

"If you're enrolled in Covered California and you're a DACA recipient, the Trump administration just ended your coverage," Smith emphasized. "People should use as much of your health care as you can before the August 31st deadline."

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services defended the move, saying it will save taxpayers money. CoveredCA estimated the change affects about 2,400 DACA recipients in the state who make too much to qualify for Medi-Cal and have jobs not providing health insurance. They can still buy private insurance but it is much more expensive. People who prepaid for their coverage can seek a refund.

Smith predicted it will be a blow not just to those who lose coverage but to the state's health care system as a whole.

"The lines in the ERs are going to be longer because people are not going to be able to get affordable preventive care," Smith projected. "They're just going to get sicker and then end up in the ERs. People will overall incur more medical debt. Hospitals will have more uncompensated care."

The change is nationwide. As of mid-July, about 538,000 people in the DACA program across the U.S. are ineligible to enroll in any state-based insurance marketplace and are unable to access premium subsidies or cost-sharing assistance.

Artificial intelligence is appearing more prominently in many aspects of life and research suggests older populations are curious, yet remain wary of using the technology in their everyday lives.

According to Stats Indiana, there are more than 1.5 million Hoosiers aged 65 and older, or 18% of the state's population. Experts said it is likely the demographic will use AI in some form in the next few years, either by choice or necessity.

Dr. Shaun Grannis, vice president of data and analytics for the Regenstrief Institute on Aging, said AI offers real benefits.

"It can reduce loneliness through conversation, provide reminders for medications and appointments," Grannis outlined. "It can support cognitive stimulation via games, storytelling, news updates."

The technology can also offer a low-pressure way to access information on public services, he added, which is valuable for those with mobility issues or those who feel intimidated by technology.

Grannis cautioned any tool which can be used for good can also lead to problems. He noted AI can create a false sense of companionship and mask social isolation. Overdependence is a legitimate concern, he argued, if the technology becomes a "crutch" for all forms of interaction.

"All cognitive activities or decision-making, it can actually lead to and create a negative feedback loop, lead to a decline in engagement and even basic self-management skills," Grannis explained. "This is risky."

Grannis believes one solution is designing AI systems to complement, not replace, human interaction. He stressed it can be done though building broader support ecosystems including family, friends, caregivers and community services. Grannis emphasized it would encourage real-world activity, prompting the user to go for a walk, call a grandchild or attend a local senior event.

If you have an extra five minutes, you can save a life because you can learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation at no cost from a new mobile, hands-only CPR kiosk.

The new kiosk is in the lobby of Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica. The machine's touch screen gives a brief overview of hands-only CPR and you can practice right there, on a mannequin.

Dr. Rigved Tadwalkar, cardiologist at St. John's, said it is an easy way for people to get more comfortable giving chest compressions in an emergency.

"It's a lot like a video game but of course, a lot more important than a video game," Tadwalkar pointed out. "It gives real-time feedback about the depth and rate of compressions, proper hand placement, which are all factors that influence the effectiveness of CPR."

The American Heart Association operates the St. John's mobile kiosk and a stationary model at L-A-X with support from the hospital. Santiago Canyon College in Orange County also has a mobile hands-only C-P-R kiosk now through September, sponsored by Edwards Lifesciences.

Steven Munatones, an Orange County business owner, said he survived what's known as a "widowmaker" heart attack which led to cardiac arrest nine years ago, thanks to his 17-year-old son, who gave him immediate CPR with instructions from a 911 operator.

"You don't have to put your mouth to anybody's mouth," Munatones explained. "You just put your hand on their chest and pump. He saved me, and others can do the same, anywhere. So, it's absolutely a lifesaving, heroic act that anybody can do."

Statistics show 350,000 Americans suffer from cardiac arrest outside a hospital each year and about 90% die, in part because they do not receive CPR. About 70% of those cardiac arrests happen at home, so people often depend on family or friends to give CPR before an ambulance arrives.