By Mike Shields
KHI News Service
TOPEKA, March 19 The Kansas Health Policy Authority Board is expected Tuesday to approve a package of health reform recommendations developed by the steering committee it formed in January after Gov. Kathleen Sebelius challenged the board and legislators to
develop a plan for “universal coverage.”
The Health for All Kansans Steering Committee on Monday approved a list of six recommendations for legislative consideration this session. It also endorsed Senate Bill 309, which instructs the health policy authority to
study major health reform options and present them to the governor and lawmakers in November
for consideration by the 2008 Legislature.
Marcia Nielsen, executive director of the health policy authority, described the list of six recommendations as a “critical down payment” on health care reform.
The steering committee was careful to select items it considered politically feasible. At least one item on its list has already won the support of one legislative chamber and most of the others are thought to have broad support. The steering committee on Monday discarded one of its earlier considered recommendations because of resistance from the insurance lobby.
“It”s not a fall-on-your-sword type of item and there are very powerful forces opposed to it,” steering committee chairman Joe Tilghman told other members as he urged them to discard a proposal that would have
allowed dependent children to remain on their parents” health insurance policies until age 25 instead of age 23.
Here are the six items the steering committee recommended and which are expected to be blessed Tuesday by the health policy authority board, several members of which also serve on the steering committee:
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Early detection and screening for newborns.
Expand screening for newborns from our current level of four tests to twenty-nine which will lead to early diagnosis and intervention that will pay immeasurable benefits in future years. The House last week voted to fund the expanded screening. Estimated cost: $1.2 million.
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Medicaid outreach and enrollment expansion.
Expand the marketing of programs available to the public in order to educate Kansans about the HealthWave program and health and wellness through: (1) designing an online application and screening tool for potential beneficiaries, (2) developing and implementing a targeting marketing campaign and (3) employing additional outreach workers. Members of the Senate Ways and Means Committee have indicated they are supportive of stepped up outreach. Estimated cost to the State General Fund would be $336,000 or $822,000 all funds.
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Consider flexibilities available through the federal Deficit Reduction Act, which would allow use of Medicaid dollars in new ways
.
This has strong support in the Legislature, particularly among House Republicans who want Medicaid money used to subsidize private insurance premium costs. The state Medicaid program has already received a $910,000 federal grant and is pursuing others. House GOP leaders have already met privately with federal officials to discuss options available through the Deficit Reduction Act.
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Premium assistance: Use federal and state Medicaid and/or SCHIP dollars to subsidize the purchase of private health insurance for families with incomes under 50 percent of federal poverty guidelines. This would be phased in over two years with the $11 million cost coming in the second year. The group originally considered a plan to provide premium assistance to all families living at 100 percent or less of federal poverty guidelines, phased in over four years. That would have cost $77 million in the fourth year and would have provided coverage for about 24,000 individuals. About 300,000 Kansans are thought to lack health insurance. The committee agreed to scale back to 50 percent of poverty level after Sen. Jim Barnett, R-Emporia, cautioned against recommending a plan for which a funding source had not been identified. “Focusing on premium assistance is a very good step toward addressing the most vulnerable population out there,” said Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger, a steering committee member.
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Promoting price and quality transparency through a two-phased approach that collects data currently available in one convenient location through the health policy authority and state libraries and then adds health care pricing and quality data. Estimated cost to the State General Fund is $425,000; or $543,000 all funds.
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Increasing Health Information Technology/Exchange (HIT/HIE).
Building on the work of the Health Care Cost Containment Commission and the health policy authority, the state should establish an HIE center through a public/private entity as a single coordination point for Kansas HIE efforts. Estimated cost is $750,000 SGF or $1 million all funds.
-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.