By Dave Ranney
KHI News Service
LAWRENCE, Jan. 23
The board of the Kansas Health Policy Authority today created a 12-member steering committee to develop health reform proposals for the Legislature during the 2007 session.
The board formed the committee a day after Gov. Kathleen Sebelius in remarks to the board at its annual retreat urged the creation of a task force to develop a plan for achieving universal health coverage in stages.
Megan Ingmire, a spokeswoman for the health policy authority, said the steering committee was formed not only to be responsive to the governor”s request but also to legislative leaders who have made increasing access to health coverage a priority issue this session.
“The overarching goal of the committeeis to build a collaborative process for possible legislation this year aimed at promoting health and affordable health care,” Ingmire said.
“I think we”ll come up with a good product something we can be proud of as Kansans,” said board member Joe Tilghman, a retired Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator.
Tilghman is one of
six board members appointed to the Health for All Kansans Steering Committee.
Sebelius on Monday urged the group to create a “strategic framework” for guiding legislators toward universal coverage.
“Universal coverage has got to be one of our goals,” Sebelius said.
In separate appearances, Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton, and House Speaker Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls, seconded the governor”s call for a task force but stopped short of embracing universal coverage.
“I don”t want them going on a fishing expedition,” Neufeld said shortly after meeting with the health policy authority board. “What we need and what we expect from them is a vision that moves us forward.”
The steering committee is expected to meet once or twice a week, starting in a week to 10 days. Its role after the legislative session remains to be seen.
Other board members on the steering committee:
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E. J. “Ned” Holland, senior vice president for human resources, a Kansas City-based telecommunications company;
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Dr. Vernon Mills, a Leavenworth pediatrician;
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Susan Page, CEO at the Pratt Regional Medical Center;
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Rod Bremby, Kansas Department of Health and Environment secretary;
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Sandy Praeger, Kansas Insurance Commissioner.
Other appointees:
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Marcia Nielsen, executive director at the health policy authority.
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Andy Tompkins, former Kansas Education Commissioner.
House and Senate leaders will be asked to appoint two members from each chamber
one Democrat, one Republican to serve on the steering committee.
“We will recommend that (leadership) appoint the leaders of their health care task forces
they don”t have to, but that would be our recommendation,” Nielsen said. “We”re looking for maximum overlap.”
In the Senate, the health care reform task force is led by Sen. Jim Barnett, R-Emporia; Sen. David Haley, D-Kansas City, is vice chairman.
Rep. Jeff Colyer, R-Overland Park and a physician, leads an all-Republican task force in the House.
House Minority Leader Dennis McKinney, D-Greensburg, is expected to appoint Rep.Nile Dillmore, D-Wichita, ranking minority member on the House Insurance and Financial Institutions Committee, to the steering committee.
Nielsen said the steering committee will focus on “possible legislation this year, aimed at promoting health and affordable health care for Kansans.”
She added, “We are very optimistic to see some real movement on health legislation this session.”
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.