Health care groups pitch low-cost initiatives to legislators - Kansas City Business Journal:

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“Any fundamental reform is going to mean more expenseefor everyone,” said William Bruning, president and CEO of the . “uI don’t see that either the government or private sectot is going to look at any programz toadd cost.” Those who help shape reform from outside of the statd legislatures have been trying to come up with some and inexpensive, ways to improve the states’ healthy care outlook. West of the statre line, the is tasked with developing a healtpolicy agenda. In 2008, the group offered an extensive approach encompassinfpolicy reform, public health, health care and insurance.
Littlew of the plan was implemented by the state durin g theprevious session. This the organization has tightenedits focus. “We fear, of that talk will be focusee on ways to reduce programs to balance the state KHPA Executive Director MarciaNielsen said. “Wes felt like last year’s recommendations were the right set for broadrhealth reform. This year, we decided to prioritizde our recommendations in a way that advances a feasible agendaz from a budget andpolicy perspective.” KHPA’xs top priority this session is the passage of a cleanj indoor air law.
According to KHPA’s 2009 Legislative 4,000 deaths in Kansas each year are dueto tobacco, and nearly $930 million in health care costs annually can be attributed to tobacclo use. Aside from costly Medicaid reforj and expansion of cancer screeningfor low-incomes individuals, the organization’s wish list includes less expensive such as providing insurance assistance for small businesses, expansioj of reimbursement for tobacco-cessation medication, workplace wellness program grants and extending school health programs. The authority is proposing to creatw financing by increasing the cigarette tax from 75 centsx a packto $1.
54 a The organization hopes that the increaser would encourage smokers to quit and discouragw others from starting. KHPA proposed a tobaccpo tax increase thispast year, which Nielseb said was “dead on arrival” because of the She said the increase may be possiblre this year, though the revenuew might be diverted to shrinkj the budget deficit. On the Missouri Amy Blouin, executive director of the MissouroBudget Project, said this will be a difficult year for significant advances in health care.
The too, is encouraging low-cost actions the state can One of the proposals is offering 12 months of continuous eligibility for Medicaid and theState Children’s Health Insurance Certifying eligibility less frequently would cost the state reduce the administrative burden and increase accese significantly, Blouin said. Another possibility is focusing on childremn by expanding presumptive eligibility or assisting families who are eligible butwho aren’t enrolled to sign up for Outreach to families also is inexpensive and another way to reach the estimated 60,000 uninsurede children in Missouri who are eligible for SCHIP, she Although health care reform may not look promisinhg this year, it may not be completelyu futile, said Bruning, who thinks that some “special circumstances” may put some focusw on reform.
Many are hoping that President-elect Obamwa and his administration will place some prioritu on health care reform and increase financing to Medicaid, though economic pressures probablh will make it a “second-year Bruning said. Jay Nixon, the incoming governor in pledged during the election to restore Medicai d cuts put in place byMatt Blunt. A pledge that may be hard to Bruning said. And in Kansas, Bruning said KHPA’s proposals may get more attention in 2009 because reform in 2008 got hijackecd by the debateabout coal-fired power plants. “Wit things like Medicaid, a lot of ability to controk and offer delivery is inthe state’s purview,” Bruning said.
“There is a range of things statedcan do, and my sense is we will again be reachinbg a tipping point in people’s tolerance in the inequitiees of health care and extreme costs.”