By Jim McLean
KHI News Service
TOPEKA, Jan. 19
Kansas House Majority Leader Ray Merrick announced today the creation of an all-Republican task force to address what he called a “crisis in health care.”
The task force will focus on a familiar list of health issues, from how to reduce the number of uninsured Kansans
which now stands at approximately 300,000
to finding ways to better monitor the health of Medicaid beneficiaries suffering chronic conditions.
“Everybody knows there is a crisis in health care,” Merrick, a Stilwell Republican, said in a news release. “The importance of our personal health demands that we address this problem now; it simply cannot wait.”
Rep. Jeff Colyer, an Overland Park physician, will serve as chairman. Other members include Merrick, House Speaker Melvin Neufeld of Ingalls, Health and Human Services Committee Chairwoman Brenda Landwehr of Wichita, Judiciary Committee Chairman Mike O”Neal of Hutchinson, Taxation Committee Chairman Kenny Wilk of Lansing, Insurance Committee Chairman Clark Shultz of Lindsborg and Rep. Bob Bethell of Alden, chairman of the House budget subcommittee of social services.
Earlier in the legislative session, Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, appointed a bi-partisan task force to develop a broad health reform agenda. That group is chaired by Sen. Jim Barnett, R-Emporia. Sen. David Haley of Kansas City, Kan. is the ranking Democrat.
Barnett, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2006, has said he wants the Senate task force to work on proposals to make private health insurance more affordable and portable, using some ideas borrowed from the universal coverage program adopted last year in Massachusetts.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius recently urged legislators to join her in developing a universal coverage plan for Kansas and put forward a proposal to cover all children up to age 5 as a first step toward that goal. She is expected to further detail her health agenda in remarks to the Kansas Health Policy Authority board at its annual retreat on Monday.
Jim McLean is a staff writer for KHI News Service, which specializes in coverage of health issues facing Kansans. He can be reached at
jmclean@khi.org
or at 785-233-5443, ext. 110.