Kansas Democratic Gov. Kathleen Sebelius said Monday that the Republican-dominated Legislature is moving too slowly on health care issues, but GOP leaders argued they’re making some progress on market-based reforms.
Sebelius criticized legislators most for not embracing her $4 million proposal to extend state health coverage to all children under age 6, an idea she also advanced unsuccessfully last year. She also called in January for legislators to draft a plan to eventually bring universal health insurance coverage to Kansas.
“I’m very disappointed that neither the House nor the Senate so far has stepped up to the plate and made the commitment to insure all Kansas children,” she told reporters. “I say, ‘Let’s go. Let’s roll up our sleeves and insure all kids.”‘
She made her remarks on the 71st day of lawmakers’ annual session, out of 90 scheduled, when neither the House nor the Senate has considered any major health care legislation.
However, her comments came the same day a Senate committee endorsed a proposal that moves the state toward forming a clearinghouse through which Kansans would buy insurance. Also Monday, a task force recommended several health care initiatives to the Kansas Health Policy Authority that could be pursued this year.
Many Republicans don’t like her proposal, which is designed to see that no child under 6 is uninsured. It would expand the Medicaid program for poor families and a health insurance program for children of working families.
“What’s her plan, other than more socialized medicine?” said Sen. Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, chairwoman of her chamber’s Health Care Strategies Committee. “Her plan is more handouts.”
Sebelius proposed spending an additional $4 million in state funds to expand Medicaid and the program for children of working families to all children under 6 and matching those dollars with $6 million in federal funds. But both the House and the Senate Ways and Means Committee didn’t include the money in their proposed $12 billion budgets for the fiscal year beginning July 1.
Republicans, particularly in the House, have said such an expansion could prove far more expensive than advertised.
“Simply expanding Medicaid is not health care reform,” said Sen. Jim Barnett, R-Emporia, a physician who ran unsuccessfully against Sebelius last year.”That’s why her proposal has gone so slowly _ and has failed.”
Last year, as a candidate, Barnett proposed establishing a state “connector” through which groups and individuals would buy health insurance. Policies would be owned by individuals, who could take them from job to job.
Insurance companies balked at the idea, arguing it would increase premiums. Sebelius was skeptical, suggesting the plan would create a new layer of bureaucracy without helping consumers.
The bill endorsed Monday by Wagle’s committee would have the Health Policy Authority study that issue to see whether costs actually would rise. Legislators created the authority in 2005 to study health issues in-depth and make policy recommendations.
“We’ll move on it this summer and have a package here next year,” Wagle said.
Sebelius acknowledged that the health authority is working on various proposals and that work on health care issues has been slowed by getting different parties, including consumers and employers, to buy into ideas.
But she added, “It’s a little slower than I would like.”
The authority planned to meet this week to review the task force’s recommendations, which include an expansion of efforts to market Medicaid and other programs and screening newborns for 29 medical conditions instead of the four now required.
The task force also said the state should consider having Medicaid purchase private insurance for poor families or, in the case of poor, working families, have the state pay an employee’s health insurance costs.
Meanwhile, a House panel also is meeting and could have proposals later this week. Its chairman, Rep. Jeff Colyer, R-Overland Park, a doctor like Barnett, said one of its goal is allowing Kansans to set aside dollars tax-free to pay health expenses.
House Speaker Melvin Neufeld, R-Ingalls, said Republicans are working with the health authority. One the House panel outlines its proposals, he said, “then the progress forward will be apparent.”
Topics Kansas
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