Kentucky Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andy Beshear and Rep. Patti Minter, D-Bowling Green, toured the Barren River District Health Department on Monday afternoon to discuss the agency’s work, as well as the unique health care crisis threatening its existence.

Matt Hunt, the district health department’s new director, explained that the goal of the visit was also to provide a snapshot of the department’s services.

“We do much more than (provide) clinical services,” Hunt said.

Several staff members introduced themselves and explained the types of services they provide to the community, such as immunizations, nutritional assistance programs, disaster preparedness and restaurant inspections.

Ashley Lillard, the child care health consultation regional coordinator, described her role as focusing on preventive health care.

“This year, we’re very focused on tobacco-free schools,” Lillard said.

Beshear applauded the department’s staff for serving “the lost, the lonely, the left behind,” and suggested that he would prioritize supporting institutions that improve the state’s health – like the regional health department.

“You’re facing more challenges than you have to,” Beshear said.

In particular, Beshear referenced the special session Gov. Matt Bevin, his Republican opponent in November, scheduled for Friday to address the state’s pension system for universities and quasi-governmental agencies – which could cause the Barren River District Health Department and dozens of other health departments to become insolvent within one year if left unchanged, according to Kentucky Department of Public Health Commissioner Jeffrey Howard.

“We’re going to pay $66,000 a day as Kentuckians for folks that should have gotten the job done before,” Beshear said of the special session, which comes after Bevin vetoed a bill which aimed to provide relief for the universities and agencies.

Beshear suggested the sustainable solution would be creating revenue streams directed solely to the pension fund – by expanding gaming, legalizing medical marijuana, cutting corporate tax incentives to “companies creating cut-rate jobs,” and removing problematic tax breaks to the wealthy.

“We can get on the road to solvency without having to push costs down on important institutions like” BRDHD, Beshear said.

During the gathering, both Beshear and Minter also discussed the health care issue of high drug prices.

Minter recently co-sponsored legislation to cap copays for insulin at $100 for a 30-day supply. The bill, BR 105, has been pre-filed for the 2020 General Assembly.

Insulin helps patients with diabetes – which affects more than 12 percent of BRDHD’s eight-county region – regulate blood sugar. Without insulin, patients can develop further complications and even die.

“It’s not right when something costs $6 a bottle to manufacture is sold sometimes for $300 for a 30-day supply,” Minter said, which can force individuals and families to sacrifice food or utility payments just to cover the “life-saving” medication.

Minter said this issue was personal. Her teenage son was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at just 19 months old.

Alex Minter, who attended the gathering Monday with his mother, thanked the BRDHD nurses for providing care throughout his childhood.

“A few times during my school experience I had severe diabetes issues,” Alex Minter said. “Having a nurse trained in treating diabetes on-site within five minutes has been vital to my school experience.”

Beshear expressed support for Minter’s measure.

“I believe health care is a basic human right,” Beshear said. “There are far too many people choosing profits instead of lifesaving medication for our people.”

In May, Beshear sued three insulin manufacturers, Eli Lilly, Sanofi-Aventis and Novo Nordisk, on the allegation that they violated Kentucky’s consumer-protection law by inflating insulin prices.

“I’m fighting pharmaceutical companies that have been trying to price us out,” Beshear said.

Late last year, Beshear also joined a lawsuit with other state attorneys general to oppose a Texas judge’s ruling that portions of the Affordable Care Act were unconstitutional – and thus protect people with preexisting conditions that would have been provided health care coverage.

“Over half of Kentuckians have preexisting conditions,” Beshear said.