By Jim McLean and Dave Ranney
KHI News Service
LAWRENCE, Jan. 22
Saying it”s time to “get to the hard stuff,” Gov. Kathleen Sebelius today urged the board of the Kansas Health Policy Authority to create a task force to formulate a universal health care plan and build public support for it.
The governor issued the challenge
which amplified a similar call in her State of the State address to the Legislature
in remarks Monday to the health policy authority board at its annual planning retreat.
“I would hope that you would accept the challenge of crafting a strategic plan for Kansas and to do it yesterday,” Sebelius said, underscoring her desire to have some elements of the plan ready for legislators to consider this legislative session.
Sebelius said she considered developing her own health care plan but concluded the issue was too important to risk making it a political football. She said the independent health policy authority is better positioned to work with leaders from both political parties, stakeholders and the public to craft a viable plan.
“It takes it a step out of the partisan arena,” Sebelius said.
In addition to providing health coverage to the approximately 300,000 Kansans who lack it, Sebelius said any plan should include strategies for lowering health-care costs and promoting health and wellness.
Referring to the health and wellness goal, Sebelius said the state must find effective ways of addressing obesity
particularly childhood obesity
and reducing the number of Kansans who smoke or use tobacco products.
“We are just crazy if we keep doing what we have been doing,” the governor said, referring to health costs of poor nutrition, lack of exercise and use of tobacco.
In Kansas, annual health-care costs directly linked to obesity total more than $650 million. The annual estimated health costs related to tobacco use are $724 million.
Legislative reaction
House Minority Leaders Dennis McKinney, D-Greensburg, said allowing the authority to convene a statewide discussion had three advantages. First, he said, it would ensure broad participation. Second, it would increase the likelihood that research-based ideas would find their way into the discussion. And third, he said, “It would help sidestep some of the partisan friction.”
Republican leaders also addressed the health policy authority board and said they were generally supportive of the governor”s task force idea. But several continued to question whether the goal of universal coverage was affordable.
“That”s a laudable goal,” said Senate President Steve Morris, R-Hugoton. “I don”t see us getting there immediately.”
House Speaker Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls, added, “Whatever we do needs to be affordable.”
Neufeld said he believed a recently formed task force made up exclusively of House Republicans would contribute some ideas to the reform discussion. But he also made it clear he expected the health policy authority to listen to all points of view in formulating a comprehensive reform plan.
“If we (legislators) get off on partisan stuff, it”s time to ignore us,” Neufeld told the board members. “The whole thing here (with the health policy authority) is to decouple policy from politics. We”re not going to let anybody hijack this process, including me.”
But Sen. Jim Barnett, R-Emporia, chairman of the joint legislative panel that oversees the health policy authority, said it already had crossed the partisan line by endorsing the governor”s proposal to provide state-subsidized coverage to all Kansas children up to age 5.
“That puts you a little bit at risk from the beginning, quite frankly,” Barnett told the board. “You have a very fine line to walk.”
Barnett also is chairman of a bipartisan Senate task force studying options for reducing the number of uninsured Kansans.
In an interview following her remarks, the governor said her $10 million Healthy First Five proposal was a first step toward her goal of universal coverage. Insisting that the ultimate goal was realistic, she acknowledged it could take years to reach.
“We just need to know what the goal is,” Sebelius said. “You can”t have a plan unless you know where you”re going.”
Sebelius” response to a question posed by board member Ned Holland Jr. also made it clear she envisions a multi-stage process. Holland said he sensed that public support was building for a comprehensive overhaul of the nation”s health system and asked the governor whether she wanted the authority to devise a “take-the-mountain strategy.”
“I”m happy to have you come up with a take-the-mountain strategy as long as it is accompanied by an incremental strategy,” Sebelius responded.
The health policy authority”s retreat will continue Tuesday in Lawrence. Members said they would resume discussion of the governor”s request for a task force.
Jim McLean and Dave Ranney are staff writers for KHI News Service, which specializes in coverage of health issues facing Kansans. They can be reached at 785-233-5443.