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AUGUST 2007 ISSUE
Keeping you informed about the new Regional Health Care Initiative
This newsletter is designed to keep health care providers in the Greater Kansas City area up to date regarding the work and activities of the Regional Health Care Initiative. A key premise of this initiative is that transparency in our work is critical to our success. This newsletter is just one venue that we'll use to provide the community with comprehensive health care information regarding the uninsured and underserved in the region. Reports, links and meeting information will be online at www.marc.org/healthinitiative.
The Regional Health Care Initiative was established at the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) in January 2007. Its goal is to improve the quality and accessibility of health care for the uninsured and underserved by working with safety net providers and other stakeholders to create a more integrated and coordinated safety net system. A key component of the initiative is the exploration and implementation of three recommendations that were outlined in the Health Management Associates Final Report.
HMA Recommendations
- Create a coordinated and integrated safety net system
- Maximize federal funds coming to the region
- Expand health insurance coverage
In April 2007, MARC hired Laura McCrary, Ed.D, to lead the initiative. Laura brings over 15 years of system change experience to the position, as well as expertise in nonprofit management. During April and May, Laura McCrary and Dean Katerndahl, director of MARC's Government Innovations Forum, met with more than 50 health care stakeholders across the region. Information from these meetings was synthesized into a “white paper” that paints a picture of the current Safety Net System in Kansas City and the opportunities for growth and change. This document will provide the framework for the work of the Safety Net Working Group (see related article below).
This newsletter will report monthly on the progress of the Regional Health Care Initiative and provide links to other important initiatives throughout the nation. Reports, meeting agendas and handouts will all be posted on our Web site. For additional information please feel free to contact the project director.
Safety Net Working Group holds first meeting
The Safety Net Working Group held its “kick-off” meeting on August 6, 2007. The group was created to provide a forum where leaders of safety net programs can meet to explore and develop ideas that will result in a coordinated and integrated safety net system. A list of the members of the safety net working group is available online.
Safety net providers deliver an array of diverse services to the uninsured and underserved in Greater Kansas City, including health care, dental care, mental health, prevention and wellness programs, pharmaceuticals and case management. In addition to the programs listed above, some safety net providers also support families with crisis needs such as food and clothing.
During the first meeting David Warm, MARC's executive director, welcomed working group members and challenged them to truly work toward viable solutions for improving health care in Greater Kansas City. Grant makers from the community attended a portion of the meeting to encourage the group to look beyond traditional barriers from the past and focus upon the creation of a health care system for the uninsured and underserved that could be a model for the nation.
Members of the committee listened to an overview of the Regional Health Care Initiative, and then got to work defining principles of an effective safety net system. The Safety Net Working Group will meet every three weeks until subgroups are established and formed. The next meeting is scheduled for August 28, 2007, from 3:00-4:30 p.m. Minutes and handouts from the meetings will be posted online.
Health Reform Updates
State of Kansas: KHPA Listening Tours
The Kansas Health Policy Authority (KHPA) is conducting a listening tour throughout the state to hear Kansans' concerns about health care issues. The authority is responsible for coordinating a statewide health policy agenda that incorporates effective purchasing and administration with health promotion strategies. During the 2007 Kansas legislative session, the KHPA was charged with the development of a series of health reform recommendations for legislators to consider during the 2008 legislative session. Deputy Director Andy Allison, Ph.D, and Executive Director Marci Nielson, Ph.D, visited Kansas City on July 25 as part of the listening tour. The event was sponsored by the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce.
More than 50 members of the health care community were in attendance. Topics of discussion ranged from the role of health insurance companies in health reform efforts to individual responsibility for health care and how to encourage preventive health care among Kansas residents. A common theme throughout the discussion was the need for significant health care reform. Participants provided input about shoring up the current system and discussed whether a major change such as individual or employer mandate would be required. Testimony offered by Laura McCrary, Ed.D, Regional Health Care Initiative director, is available online. For more information regarding the work of KHPA, please visit www.khpa.ks.gov.
U.S. Congress: SCHIP Reauthorization
The Senate Finance Committee approved legislation on July 19 to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) program with $35 billion in new funding over five years. The SCHIP Reauthorization Act of 2007, which now moves to the full Senate, would bring the total funding for SCHIP to approximately $60 billion over five years and provide insurance coverage for an additional 3.3 million children under SCHIP and Medicaid, according to Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates.
Provisions in the bill would provide states with new options and resources to improve outreach and enrollment efforts, incentives for achieving increased Medicaid enrollment for children, and a way to use applicants' Social Security Numbers to verify citizenship. Additionally, the bill approved by the committee would provide for mental health parity, $200 million for a dental health grant program to improve the quality of dental care, and creation of a health quality initiative.
The Senate Finance Committee plan would also prohibit any more states from receiving Medicaid waivers to cover parents or childless adults under SCHIP. For states with current waivers, coverage for these populations would be phased out. The legislation would be funded with a 61-cent increase in the cigarette tax.
The House version of the bill, HR 3162, also approved recently, would reduce payments to Medicare Advantage plans and increase the federal cigarette tax by 45 cents per pack to increase funding for SCHIP by $50 billion over five years.
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