RX for Change: Confronting the health care crisis in Kansas

Dec. 9, 2005

By Sarah Kessinger

Harris News Service

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger toured Kansas last year to announce an ambitious set of proposals.

Their Healthy Kansas initiative sought to expand public insurance coverage among the state's working poor, improve wellness among Kansans and cut costly paperwork and administration in both private and public sectors.

The effort has made progress on several fronts but remains stalled in one major area — coverage for uninsured working Kansans.

“We're certainly going to keep this high on the radar screen,” Sebelius said in a recent interview. “We've still got issues pending in the Legislature on insuring Kansans and using resources more effectively.”

As Kansans continue to struggle with health care costs, affordable insurance likely is a major issue in next year's gubernatorial race. Surveys place it high on Kansans' priority lists.

But no candidate has begun touting a plan. Sebelius' staff remains mum about her campaign platforms, saying the governor is focusing on her job.

The administration has announced several new Healthy Kansas initiatives and expects to offer another one soon — a new prescription drug program for uninsured adults.

The plan aims to help people buy cheaper generic drugs through a network of Kansas pharmacies.

“Come Jan. 1, seniors will have coverage through Medicare, but that still leaves a lot of Kansans without private coverage and we want to provide them with relief on drug costs,” said Karen Braman, deputy director of the Kansas Division of Health Policy and Finance.

The program is for those earning up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. For a family of four, that is about $38,700. It covers mainly medications for chronic ailments.

It is expected to help cover uninsured parents whose children are enrolled in the state's HealthWave insurance plan. HealthWave is available to children whose parents earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to buy private insurance.

Earlier this year, Sebelius also asked lawmakers to approve new funding to insure more working adults under Medicaid, a public health plan for the poorest Kansans.

She sought to pay for it by increasing state tobacco taxes, but the Republican-dominated Legislature showed no interest in raising taxes.

But other Healthy Kansas projects move forward:

n The state is close to completing a restructured public-private program to offer affordable health insurance for small businesses. By next year, Praeger said, pilot projects could begin in southwest Kansas and Wyandotte County, the regions with the highest rates of uninsured residents.

n The Health Care Cost Containment Commission, a panel of several Kansans involved in health care and business and led by Lt. Gov. John Moore, is exploring how to cut overhead in health care administration. They are eyeing electronic record systems to smooth and speed processing of insurance claims, billing, prescriptions and other paperwork.

“That's kind of a technical advancement,” Sebelius said, “but I think it could be a huge cost savings and elimination of positions where people are pushing paper and not contributing to health care.”

n The HealthyKansas.org Web site offers a link to a new prescription drug resource center, a guide to finding cheaper prescription drugs. It includes a link to I-Save Rx, a multistate program that helps consumers purchase lower-cost prescriptions through Canadian and European pharmacies.

n Children of low-income state employees can enroll in a new HealthyKIDS plan. The state managed cost savings in its overall state employee health insurance program, freeing funds to cover children of low-wage employees.

“I think the state is setting a good example as an employer,” Praeger said. “We hope it encourages private employers to do likewise.”

n Staff in the aging and insurance departments offer free help to senior citizens trying to navigate the new federal Medicare prescription drug program, which begins Jan.1.

n Kansas Department of Health and Environment is pushing new programs to get Kansans healthier so they don't get sick. The efforts target school children, adults in the workplace and the elderly. A third of all deaths in Kansas are tied to smoking, obesity and poor nutrition.

“Anything we can do to get folks engaged,” Sebelius said. “It's getting Kansans to think a little more about cutting tobacco use, increasing physical activity and encouraging better eating habits.”