LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Jan. 24, 2014) — An overwhelming number of Kentucky adults has heard of the state’s online health insurance marketplace, kynect, and most adults in the commonwealth support the expansion of Medicaid coverage to include more low-income Kentuckians. Those are the highlights of the latest Kentucky Health Issues Poll (KHIP).
In regards to questions about kynect, KHIP highlights include:
♦ Nearly 8 in 10 (77 percent) Kentucky adults said they have heard about kynect.
♦ 7 in 10 (70 percent) of uninsured adults reported being aware of kynect.
♦ More than 3 in 10 (36 percent) of uninsured adults indicated they have sought out more information about the kynect marketplace.
♦ 1 in 3 (32 percent) of Kentucky adults in each of the following categories reported hearing “nothing at all about kynect”: between the ages of 18-29, have less than a high school education, make 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Level or below, and live in northern Kentucky.
On the question of expanded Medicaid, KHIP highlights include:
♦ Nearly 8 in 10 (79 percent) adults said they support Kentucky’s decision to expand Medicaid to include more low-income Kentuckians.
♦ Almost 9 in 10 (87 percent) Kentucky adults reported that it is very important (57 percent) or somewhat important (30 percent) that Kentucky Medicaid provides coverage to low-income people.
“The data show us the initial awareness campaigns aimed at letting Kentuckians know about kynect, and the expanded opportunities for Medicaid coverage, are being heard,” said Susan Zepeda, president/CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky. “KHIP also identifies groups and one region in the state where more education is needed so better informed decisions can be made.”
Kentucky launched kynect on October 1, 2013. Since then, the state reports more than 162,000 Kentuckians have enrolled in health insurance coverage via kynect. The Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services estimates that with the expansion of Medicaid, 308,000 Kentucky adults will now qualify for coverage.
The KHIP was funded by the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky and Interact for Health, formerly the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati. The poll was conducted Oct. 25 through Nov. 26 by the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Cincinnati. A random sample of 1,551 adults from throughout Kentucky was interviewed by telephone, including landlines and cell phones. The poll has a margin of error of ±2.5 percent.
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