By Mike Shields
KHI News Service
TOPEKA, April 24
Legislative auditors released a report Tuesday that showed federal and state government spent almost $6 billion in Kansas last year on health care programs.
The report was the first of its kind to provide an overview of who receives and administers government health-care dollars in Kansas.
“This is maybe not quite your normal audit,” said Sen. Chris Steineger, D-Kansas City, a member of the Legislative Post-Audit Committee. “But this will be a tool for us as we do health-care reform.”
Legislation instructing the Kansas Health Policy Authority to develop a plan for major reform for consideration by the 2008 Legislature has been approved by a conference committee and awaits deliberation by both chambers during the wrap-up session, which begins Wednesday.
In late 2006, researchers
at the Kansas Health Institute estimated that the state”s “health economy” in 2004 totaled $17.2 billion. But the Post-Audit study released Tuesday
focused solely on health dollars disbursed through government agencies.
Among the audit findings:
*In 2006, the federal government administered $3.3 billion on health and long-term care programs; $3 billion of that through the Medicare program, the health insurance program for seniors.
*The state administered $2.5 billion in health and long-term care programs; $1.2 billion of that was through the Kansas Health Policy Authority for Medicaid and children”s health initiatives, including the State Children”s Health Insurance Program. But the federal government provided 59 percent of the health care dollars administered by the state.
*Kansas universities reported spending $130.6 million on health-care related research in 2006; $126 million of that was at the University of Kansas. About 60 percent of the total research spending was with money provided by the federal National Institutes for Health.
-Mike Shields is a staff writer for KHI News Service, which specializes in coverage of health issues facing Kansans. He can be reached at
mshields@khi.org
or at 785-233-5443, ext. 123.