{Harlan, Kentucky}...A forum was held in Harlan Tuesday afternoon with ARH officials and eastern Kentucky leaders. Tuesday, attorneys for Appalachian Regional Healthcare asked a federal judge to issue an injunction ordering Coventry Cares to let its members keep receiving services through the hospital chain to avoid disruptions to patients and widespread layoffs it says will occur in the region unless a judge intervenes. Coventry Cares is one of three companies approved by the state to provide managed-care services to poor, disabled and elderly people throughout most of the state under Medicaid. Coventry said it would cancel its contract with ARH after May 4th. The termination, if it happens, would affect about 25,000 Medicaid recipients in the ARH service area. ARH has eight hospitals and other programs such as clinics and home-health agencies in eastern Kentucky.
