According to "Social Security Disability in Kentucky: The Evolution of Dependence, 1980-2015," 11.2 percent of Kentuckians in 2015 received some form of disability payments. That's 375,000, enough for second among the 50 states in terms of percent of resident population. In fact, Kentucky has not dropped below that dubious rank since 2002.
In 2015, Crittenden County ranked third among Kentucky's 120 counties for per capita prescribed doses of opioids (commonly found in painkillers) through SSI Medicaid. An average of 193.18 doses of opioids per SSI beneficiary in the county were prescribed by health care professionals. The state average is 147.29 per capita, which is triple the 2000 statewide rate.
Marshall County was the only other western Kentucky county in the top 10 for 2015 per capita doses of SSI Medicaid opioids.
The above information is only an excerpt from an article published in the Nov. 16 issue of The Crittenden Press. For more, refer to that article. Back issues are available online through our subscription portal or at the office on East Bellville Street in Marion.
