Health Care
Health care reform must top priorities in 2009
The Legislature has considered different proposals over the years to improve Kansas' health care system. Too many Kansans, however, still struggle to afford or access the health services they deserve. Almost 300,000 Kansans remain uninsured.
In 2008, the House of Representatives passed legislation that would have reqiuired group health insurance providers to establish premium only cafeteria plans to businesses, who may then offer a premium only cafeteria plan to their employees.
The plan also provided funding to enroll eligible children not currently receiving benefits into HealthWave. In addition, the bill proposed $4 million for cancer screenings, including colon, prostate, cervical and breast. The proposal also improved coverage for pregnant women, included provisions to streamline medical bureaucracy and focused on preventative health measures. The legislation also recommended $384,000 to fund a community health record.
Most importantly, the House Health Care Reform Act provided Premium Assistance for families between 37-50 percent of the Federal Poverty Line. This was by far the most important provision for extending health insurance coverage for those currently uninsured. Extending coverage is a critical goal of health reform. Without insurance, families are forced to rely on emergency room care, driving up premiums and general costs for everyone- employers and employees alike. Unfortunately, this provision was removed during negotiations with the Senate and replaced with an empty promise of an unfunded expansion of the federal SCHIP program. This expansion is pending federal approval, and is not likely to pass at the federal level.
Other provisions of the final compromise include higher maximum lifetime benefits in the High Risk Pool, increased funding for 33 safety net clinics and further study of specific proposals not yet ready for implementation. Group Accident and Sickness Insurance coverage now extends from 6 to 18 months after leaving a place of employment.
Meaningful reform cannot be accomplished by one political party or one method. It must be collaborative, comprehensive and unique to Kansas communities. House Democrats worked closely with Republicans to move forward with this effort, but removing vital provisions only limited our effort to reduce cost and expand coverage to Kansans who needed it most in 2008.
Looking ahead, House Democrats remain committeed to implementing more recommendations of the Kansas Health Policy Authority during the next legislative session. The people of Kansas deserve a serious effort. Click here to download KHPA's full list of recommendations for reform.
