Weekly Health News Round Up 3.12.21

For years, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have been driving up health care costs for Kentuckians at the pharmacy counter. Now, it’s time to rein-in PBMs’ unfair actions and ensure patients can afford their medication. 

Norton Healthcare’s Institute for Health Equity is coming to Louisville’s Russell neighborhood and is expected to open this summer. The institute, which launched in June, will work to address problems related to social determinants of health.

Kentucky vaccinated a record number of Kentuckians this week against the coronavirus, while the positivity rate dropped to its lowest point in more than five months. Gov. Beshear says the state will meet its goal of having a vaccine available for any Kentucky adult by the end of May.

After nearly a year of keeping visitors out of long-term care facilities, Kentucky will soon relax the visitation rights. This week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services relaxed its indoor visitation rights due to the significant drop in new cases. 

The average life expectancy in rural Kentucky counties is 69— nine years younger than the national average. Doctors say these counties have higher rates of obesity and diabetes, suicide, alcohol abuse and substance use disorders. There’s also a lack of doctors to treat these diseases.