By Dave Ranney
KHI News Service
TOPEKA, Feb. 15
State health officials are getting ready to send letters to thousands of parents whose children”s Medicaid applications are in limbo, encouraging them to use safety net clinics rather than emergency rooms.
“Health care is important to every Kansan and we want to be sure their health and health care needs are met,” said Megan Ingmire, a spokeswoman for the Kansas Health Policy Authority.
The applications are in limbo because the Kansas Family Medical Clearinghouse has been inundated with letters, faxes and telephone calls since a federal rule took effect July 1, requiring parents to document their children”s citizenship and identity.
Applications that used to take three to four weeks to process now take two to three months.
“Letters will be sent to Medicaid beneficiaries who have lost coverage due to the citizenship requirements that were effective July 1, 2006,” Ingmire said. “The letters will encourage beneficiaries to visit a safety net clinic while they are waiting to gather citizenship and identity documents.”
According to the health policy authority, the documentation requirements and the resulting backlog, have kept 18,000 to 20,000 people
children, mostly
from being added to the state”s Medicaid rolls.
The rule is intended to keep illegal immigrants from gaining access to government-funded health care.
Earlier this week, the state”s safety net clinics warned they would be hard-pressed to take on thousands of uninsured children.
“We will because that”s our mission. We don”t turn people away,” said Karla Finnell, executive director at the Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved.
“But at the same time, we have to let people know we really don”t have resources in place to make that happen,” she said.
KAMU represents the state”s 34 safety net clinics.
Finnell on Wednesday asked the House Social Services Budget Committee for an additional $2 million to $3 million to offset the projected increase in demand.
“We think we”re going to have to develop a surge capacity
things like extended hours or being open on Saturdays
to handle the increase,” Finnell said.
Most safety net clinics, she said, are geared toward uninsured adults because children in low-income families are eligible for Medicaid or the State Children”s Health Insurance Program and have access to other services.
“The ratio is 62 percent of the people we see are 20 or older,” Finnell said. “Twenty-eight percent are under 20.”
The clinics saw 126,888 patients in 2005; the 2006 figure is not yet available.
The House Social Service Budget Committee embraced KAMU”s request Thursday, adding it to the list of projects it will recommend for the Fiscal 2008 budget.
“It”s a whole lot more cost-effective to see these people in safety net clinics than it is to see them in emergency rooms,” said Rep. Bob Bethell, R-Alden, the committee”s chairman.
“I can”t guarantee anything, but in my opinion we have to do this
we have to do something,” he said.
Rep. Peggy Mast, R-Emporia, seconded Bethell”s sentiments. “Our community health centers are doing an excellent job,” she said, noting that Flint Hills Community Health Center had recently addressed a dental emergency for one of her husband”s employees.
“We need to do as much as we can to reinforce the good job that the clinics are doing,” Mast said.
Dave Ranney is a staff writer for KHI News Service, which specializes in coverage of health issues facing Kansans. He can be reached at
dranney@khi.org
or at 785-233-5443, ext. 128.