Three Republican members of the Kansas House have been named to the KanCare oversight committee.
They are Reps. David Crum of Augusta, John Edmonds of Great Bend and Willie Dove of Bonner Springs.
Crum and Edmonds were appointed by House Speaker Ray Merrick, a Stilwell Republican, and Dove was appointed by House Majority Leader Jene Vickrey, a Louisburg Republican.
The oversight committee, officially known as the Rep. Robert G. “Bob” Bethell Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Service and KanCare Oversight, in honor of the late Bob Bethell, also will include other members of the House and Senate. Those appointments weren’t immediately available Monday. According to the law creating the committee, it is to have 11 members, including five from the Senate and six from the House. Other appointments will be made by the House and Senate minority leaders and by the chairs of the House and Senate budget committees.
The committee was created earlier this year by the Legislature to keep tabs on KanCare, the Medicaid makeover initiative launched Jan. 1 by the administration of Gov. Sam Brownback. The initiative moved virtually all the state’s 390,000 Medicaid beneficiaries into health plans run by three private, managed care companies.
Brownback officials have said the move will save the state and federal governments more than $1 billion over five years while improving the health of Medicaid enrollees.
“I appreciate the willingness of these representatives to lend their time and expertise for the benefit of the thousands of people across Kansas who rely on KanCare,” Merrick said in a prepared statement. “Our job as legislators is to provide accountability to the system and advocacy for our constituents. I’m pleased with the assistance KanCare has provided to the needy in our state and I want them to continue to receive a high quality of care.”
House officials said the first meeting of the oversight committee would be scheduled “in the coming weeks.”
Legislative leaders recently approved two meeting days for the committee this year.
KHI News Service coverage of KanCare
→ Hutchinson Clinic’s letter throws a curve to KanCare open enrollment (1/28/14)
→ National Disability Council again urges CMS to hold off on Kansas DD carve-in (1/14/14)
→ DD carve-in not approved for Jan. 1 launch (12/27/13)
→ National Council on Disability urges one-year delay of KanCare DD carve-in (12/13/13)
→ KDADS chief describes lessons learned with KanCare (12/5/13)
→ Other states watching Kansas as it implements ‘unprecedented’ Medicaid model (12/5/13)
→ KanCare reimbursement problems continue for providers (11/25/13)
→ Kansas dental program for children on hold because of KanCare MCO (11/11/13)
→ Kansas Medicaid providers complain to oversight committee (10/7/13)
→ Wichita hospital execs describe problems with KanCare (8/29/13)
→ KanCare to adopt “health home” model for treating mentally ill (7/22/13)
→ Kentucky’s rush into Medicaid managed care: A cautionary tale for other states (7/18/13)
→ DD groups largely reconciled to KanCare carve-in (7/15/13)
→ Advocates urge more government oversight of Medicaid managed care (7/8/13)
→ Independent pharmacists push for KanCare contract enforcement (7/1/13)
→ Payroll agents for the disabled on Medicaid say they are struggling under KanCare (6/3/13)
→ Personal Care Attendants: KanCare’s unheralded workers (5/20/13)
→ House GOP leaders pen letter backing DD supports in KanCare (5/17/13)
→ More than 1,000 rally at Statehouse for DD carve-out (5/8/13)
→ Nothing to be done about coverage gap in states not expanding Medicaid, feds say (4/29/13)
→ As KanCare continuity of care period ends, problems persist; legislators starting to hear about it (4/8/13)
→ Advocates raise concerns over possible reductions in KanCare services (3/28/13)
→ Conferees agree on KanCare oversight committee (3/28/13)
→ DD advocates push to extend KanCare “carve-out” (3/20/13)
→ Safety-net clinics struggling with KanCare (3/4/13)
→ Major medical provider groups ask for longer KanCare transition (2/13/13)
→ Lawmakers and providers assess KanCare transition (1/28/13)
→ Five-part series: “Lower cost and better care: Can KanCare deliver?” (1/14/13)
→ Independence of KanCare ombudsman questioned (1/7/13)
→ KanCare special terms and conditions spelled out by CMS in a document (12/28/12)
→ KanCare workforce shift hampering local agencies (12/10/12)
→ Governor announces KanCare approval by feds (12/7/12)
→ More KanCare implementation details outlined (12/3/12)
→ Federal officials say they hope to act soon on KanCare waiver request (11/28/12)
→ New KanCare info included on state website (11/20/12)
→ Groups call for KanCare delay (11/8/12)
→ Go/no-go date looms this week for KanCare (10/15/12)
→ KanCare benefit packages outlined (9/26/12)
→ Provider groups nervous about lack of KanCare details (9/13/12)
→ KanCare Confidential (9/10/12)
→ KanCare contracts awarded (6/27/12)
→ KanCare plan panned again at public hearing (6/20/12)
→ Wichita KanCare forum draws more than 200 (6/19/12)
→ Medicaid makeover: Can Kansas learn from Kentucky? (6/11/12)
→ Hundreds protest inclusion of disability services in KanCare (4/25/12)
→ Counties weighing in on KanCare (4/9/12)
→ Hospital administrator to chair KanCare Advisory Council (3/29/12)
→ Brownback Medicaid makeover an “ambitious” plan (3/28/12)
→ KanCare bidders heavily courting Medicaid providers (3/19/12)
→ Legislators push to delay KanCare start (3/7/12)
→ Brownback announces managed care for all in Medicaid (11/8/11)
→ Kansas Medicaid makeover in the works (3/7/11)
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