By Dave Ranney and Mike Shields
KHI News Service
TOPEKA, Jan. 9
The Republican majorities in the Kansas House and Senate have released their respective health policy agendas for the 2007 session.
The House GOP caucus will back initiatives aimed at expanding services for children with autism and testing newborns for 29 genetic disorders.
Currently, newborns in Kansas are tested for four disorders.
“This is an issue that”s absolutely on target,” said Rep. Bob Bethell, R-Alden, chairman of the budget subcommittee on social services.
“The 29 conditions can be treated,” he said. “It”s a very cost-effective way for the state to address health conditions for kids.”
The 29 screenings are the minimum recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics. Some states require screenings for more than 40 disorders. Kansas is one of the few states in the nation that screen for fewer than 10.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment included the additional screenings in its proposed budget for Fiscal 2008, which begins July 1.
The screenings are expected to cost $2.3 million, most of which about $1.17 million would be generated by assessing hospitals $30 for each test. The remaining $191,000 in state money would pay
for treatment for
newborns diagnosed with a disorder.
The House GOP caucus plan to expand services for autistic children also is supported by the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services. SRS
has proposed expanding services
it provides to autistic children ages 5 and older to include
autistic children of any age.
The expansion is expected to cost $1.2 million in state funds; $1.8 million in additional federal support.
House Republicans also endorsed:
*
Tax credits for small businesses to pay their employees” health insurance premiums;
*
Letting workers maintain their health insurance for as long as they like after leaving an employer;
*
Making premiums “100 percent tax deductible” for those who buy health insurance on the open market rather than through their employer; and
*
Improving the state”s mental health and substance abuse programs.
The GOP caucus neither mentioned nor endorsed Gov. Kathleen Sebelius” call for insuring all Kansas children from birth to age 5, an initiative expected to cost between $4 million and $6 million.
“We talked about this last year,” Bethell said. “The big issue we ran into was how do you keep kids who are insured (through their parents” employer) from migrating over into the state-funded system?”
Senate GOP leaders on Tuesday announced they were creating a “Senate President”s Task Force on Health Care.” The task force will be chaired by Sen. Jim Barnett, who also is chairman of the Public Health ‘ Welfare Committee. It is one of three special task forces created.
Leaders said the health care task force, to be made up of Republican and Democratic senators, will discuss the possibility of expanding health insurance through existing programs but also study what other states, including Maryland, are doing to broaden coverage. The panel also will study ways to improve health insurance portability and make health insurance premiums tax exempt. It also will consider expanding newborn screenings.
The task forces will not have power to introduce bills and will include senators not on the standing committees related to the task force topics.
Patti Van Slyke, communications director for Senate Pres. Steve Morris, said Morris is hoping the three new task forces will complete their recommendations by the end of January so that the standing committees can begin work on the task force recommendations by February.
Morris also created special task forces to study K-12 education issues and higher education.
House and Senate Democrats are expected to announce their legislative priorities after the governor”s State of the State address, which is Wednesday.
Republicans hold majorities in the House, 78-47, and the Senate, 30-10 in the Senate and in the House.
Dave Ranney and Mike Shields are staff writers for KHI News Service, which specializes in coverage of health issues facing Kansans. They can be reached at 785-233-5443.