By Jim McLean
KHI News Service
TOPEKA — Consumers in Kansas and Missouri are among those who could be most affected if the U.S. Supreme Court eliminates federal subsidies in states that didn’t set up their own health insurance marketplaces.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Health Insurance Smarts: What Are My Consumer Rights?
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, copayments and provider networks are among the many items you might consider before choosing a health insurance policy that best suits you and your family’s needs.
Most likely your current state of health and financial situation also will play a role in the decision.
No matter what health insurance policy you choose, know that you currently have access to various policies and cannot be denied coverage for a pre-existing condition, said Roberta Riportella, Kansas Health Foundation professor of community health with K-State Research and Extension. You also cannot have a policy canceled because you get sick during the policy term.
Most likely your current state of health and financial situation also will play a role in the decision.
No matter what health insurance policy you choose, know that you currently have access to various policies and cannot be denied coverage for a pre-existing condition, said Roberta Riportella, Kansas Health Foundation professor of community health with K-State Research and Extension. You also cannot have a policy canceled because you get sick during the policy term.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Expert: Important changes to note when signing up under Affordable Care Act
KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- Open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act began Nov. 15, and a Kansas State University community health specialist says there are some key changes to keep in mind when selecting a plan.
The health insurance market place is open through Feb. 15, 2015. Whether you are signing up for the first time or renewing an existing plan, review the plan because some details may have changed, said Roberta Riportella, Kansas Health Foundation professor of community health in the university's College of Human Ecology.
"Last year, 65 different plans were offered in Kansas through four different insurers," Riportella said. "We may see those same four insurers or we may see more. We also may see a different assortment of plans, so people will have to shop for the best plan to suit their needs."
While it is true that some people lost insurance because their policies were canceled, Riportella says it is a misconception to link that cancellation with the Affordable Care Act.
"It is unfortunate that people did have their policies canceled, but in the past people always had their policies canceled when the insurance company decided the individual was too sick or cost the insurance company too much money," Riportella said. "That can no longer happen. So 20,000 people may have lost insurance in Kansas last year, but more than 58,000 got insured through the health insurance market place. Additionally, 80 percent of people in Kansas who signed up for a policy in the health insurance market place got assistance paying for their premiums."
When you file taxes for 2014, you will have to show proof of having health insurance for at least nine months of the year. Riportella said to also note the different coverage dates based on when you sign up for insurance:
• Sign up by Dec. 15 and coverage starts Jan. 1, 2015.
• Sign up after Dec. 15 and coverage starts Feb. 1, 2015.
• Sign up Feb. 15, 2015, and coverage starts March 1, 2015.
As long as your coverage starts by March 1, 2015, Riportella said you are meeting the federal mandate.
"Let's remember the ultimate goal of people getting insured is so they can take better care of themselves," Riportella said. "This provides preventive care so they can visit the doctor in a timely fashion and not be afraid to go to the doctor because of the cost."
The health insurance market place is open through Feb. 15, 2015. Whether you are signing up for the first time or renewing an existing plan, review the plan because some details may have changed, said Roberta Riportella, Kansas Health Foundation professor of community health in the university's College of Human Ecology.
"Last year, 65 different plans were offered in Kansas through four different insurers," Riportella said. "We may see those same four insurers or we may see more. We also may see a different assortment of plans, so people will have to shop for the best plan to suit their needs."
While it is true that some people lost insurance because their policies were canceled, Riportella says it is a misconception to link that cancellation with the Affordable Care Act.
"It is unfortunate that people did have their policies canceled, but in the past people always had their policies canceled when the insurance company decided the individual was too sick or cost the insurance company too much money," Riportella said. "That can no longer happen. So 20,000 people may have lost insurance in Kansas last year, but more than 58,000 got insured through the health insurance market place. Additionally, 80 percent of people in Kansas who signed up for a policy in the health insurance market place got assistance paying for their premiums."
When you file taxes for 2014, you will have to show proof of having health insurance for at least nine months of the year. Riportella said to also note the different coverage dates based on when you sign up for insurance:
• Sign up by Dec. 15 and coverage starts Jan. 1, 2015.
• Sign up after Dec. 15 and coverage starts Feb. 1, 2015.
• Sign up Feb. 15, 2015, and coverage starts March 1, 2015.
As long as your coverage starts by March 1, 2015, Riportella said you are meeting the federal mandate.
"Let's remember the ultimate goal of people getting insured is so they can take better care of themselves," Riportella said. "This provides preventive care so they can visit the doctor in a timely fashion and not be afraid to go to the doctor because of the cost."
Friday, January 31, 2014
Kansas backs Hobby Lobby in 'Obamacare' challenge
News Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- Kansas is backing Hobby Lobby in its legal challenge to the federal government’s authority to require a family-owned business to violate its sincerely held religious beliefs in the name of health care reform, Attorney General Derek Schmidt said today.
Kansas and 17 other states earlier this week filed a brief in the U.S. Supreme Court backing a challenge to a provision of the federal Affordable Care Act, also called ‘Obamacare,’ that purports to require certain employers to pay for and provide a government-mandated list of health care services to their employees.
The required coverage includes certain health care services that conflict with the sincerely held religious beliefs of some Americans, including those families that own the companies challenging the law.
“Americans may form a corporation for profit and at the same time adhere to religious principles in their business operation,” the attorneys general wrote. “This is true whether it is the [plaintiffs in this case] operating their businesses based on their Christian principles, a Jewish-owned deli that does not sell non-kosher foods, or a Muslim-owned financial brokerage that will not lend money for interest. The idea is as American as apple pie.”
Hobby Lobby, Inc., a family-owned corporation, challenged the mandate in federal court in Oklahoma. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over Kansas, sided with the company and against the federal government.
KANSAS CITY, KAN. ----- Kansas is backing Hobby Lobby in its legal challenge to the federal government’s authority to require a family-owned business to violate its sincerely held religious beliefs in the name of health care reform, Attorney General Derek Schmidt said today.
Kansas and 17 other states earlier this week filed a brief in the U.S. Supreme Court backing a challenge to a provision of the federal Affordable Care Act, also called ‘Obamacare,’ that purports to require certain employers to pay for and provide a government-mandated list of health care services to their employees.
The required coverage includes certain health care services that conflict with the sincerely held religious beliefs of some Americans, including those families that own the companies challenging the law.
“Americans may form a corporation for profit and at the same time adhere to religious principles in their business operation,” the attorneys general wrote. “This is true whether it is the [plaintiffs in this case] operating their businesses based on their Christian principles, a Jewish-owned deli that does not sell non-kosher foods, or a Muslim-owned financial brokerage that will not lend money for interest. The idea is as American as apple pie.”
Hobby Lobby, Inc., a family-owned corporation, challenged the mandate in federal court in Oklahoma. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over Kansas, sided with the company and against the federal government.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
Moran: Affordable Care Act beyond repair
By PETER HANCOCK, The Lawrence Journal-World
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran said Friday that the Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare," is flawed beyond repair and that it's forcing businesses to look for creative ways of avoiding new requirements that they provide their workers with health coverage.
"The Affordable Care Act is a disaster," Moran told the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce during a breakfast meeting. And while the problems with the new program's enrollment website will eventually be fixed, he said, "the underlying problems of the Affordable Care Act remain."
Moran, a Republican who was elected to the Senate in 2010 after serving 14 years in the U.S. House, acknowledged that many Americans are uninsured and have difficulty affording health care.
"But the plan that was forced through on a straight party-line vote, Christmas Eve (2009), in the Senate is not the approach that is going to work," he said. "This is a mistake."
Under the law, most individuals will be required to have health coverage starting next year. And businesses with 50 or more full-time employees will be required to provide health coverage to their workers. The law defines a full-time employee as one who works 30 or more hours a week.
Moran noted that he had recently toured a warehouse in Lenexa where the owner told him that he'd reached an agreement with another warehouse across the street to swap employees on a part-time basis. "They work here 29 hours a week, and they work there 29 hours a week," Moran quoted the warehouse owner as saying.
U.S. Senator Jerry Moran said Friday that the Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare," is flawed beyond repair and that it's forcing businesses to look for creative ways of avoiding new requirements that they provide their workers with health coverage.
"The Affordable Care Act is a disaster," Moran told the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce during a breakfast meeting. And while the problems with the new program's enrollment website will eventually be fixed, he said, "the underlying problems of the Affordable Care Act remain."
Moran, a Republican who was elected to the Senate in 2010 after serving 14 years in the U.S. House, acknowledged that many Americans are uninsured and have difficulty affording health care.
"But the plan that was forced through on a straight party-line vote, Christmas Eve (2009), in the Senate is not the approach that is going to work," he said. "This is a mistake."
Under the law, most individuals will be required to have health coverage starting next year. And businesses with 50 or more full-time employees will be required to provide health coverage to their workers. The law defines a full-time employee as one who works 30 or more hours a week.
Moran noted that he had recently toured a warehouse in Lenexa where the owner told him that he'd reached an agreement with another warehouse across the street to swap employees on a part-time basis. "They work here 29 hours a week, and they work there 29 hours a week," Moran quoted the warehouse owner as saying.
Friday, November 8, 2013
AG Schmidt to feds: ‘Obamacare’ implementation risks consumer privacy
TOPEKA, KAN. – Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt this week called on the Obama administration to step up consumer privacy protections as it implements the Affordable Care Act.
“I’m concerned that the well-publicized shortcomings in the new health exchange website are just the tip of the iceberg,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt and nine other state attorneys general sent a letter this week to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius raising concerns about consumer protections under the new law. In addition to expressing general concerns about data security, the attorneys general focused on the lack of background checks or other controls to ensure the integrity of the people who become “navigators.” The navigators assist consumers in signing up for coverage.
Because the navigators have access to consumers’ personal information, the lack of screening creates a risk of identity theft or other privacy violations.
“[T]he federal standards for navigators provide inadequate consumer protections to prevent the stealing of personal information,” the attorneys general wrote.
In August, before the October 1 implementation deadline for the new law, the attorneys general sent a previous letter to Secretary Sebelius raising concerns about the lack of background checks on navigators and the risk that consumer privacy could be at risk. They have not received a response to that previous letter.
This week, the Secretary testified before a United States Senate committee that it is possible for people with a felony conviction to become navigators with access to consumers’ personal information.
In addition to Schmidt, the letter was signed by the attorneys general from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and West Virginia. Copies of the August letter and yesterday’s letter are available at http://1.usa.gov/1bdMv2g and http://1.usa.gov/1hmUZNg.
“I’m concerned that the well-publicized shortcomings in the new health exchange website are just the tip of the iceberg,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt and nine other state attorneys general sent a letter this week to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius raising concerns about consumer protections under the new law. In addition to expressing general concerns about data security, the attorneys general focused on the lack of background checks or other controls to ensure the integrity of the people who become “navigators.” The navigators assist consumers in signing up for coverage.
Because the navigators have access to consumers’ personal information, the lack of screening creates a risk of identity theft or other privacy violations.
“[T]he federal standards for navigators provide inadequate consumer protections to prevent the stealing of personal information,” the attorneys general wrote.
In August, before the October 1 implementation deadline for the new law, the attorneys general sent a previous letter to Secretary Sebelius raising concerns about the lack of background checks on navigators and the risk that consumer privacy could be at risk. They have not received a response to that previous letter.
This week, the Secretary testified before a United States Senate committee that it is possible for people with a felony conviction to become navigators with access to consumers’ personal information.
In addition to Schmidt, the letter was signed by the attorneys general from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and West Virginia. Copies of the August letter and yesterday’s letter are available at http://1.usa.gov/1bdMv2g and http://1.usa.gov/1hmUZNg.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Enroll Wyandotte steers uninsured to Obamacare marketplace
By MIKE SHERRY, KHI News Service
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Cheered on by Mayor Mark Holland, community leaders here kicked off an effort this week to enroll thousands of Wyandotte County residents in the new health insurance marketplace created under the Affordable Care Act.
“This has been a big win at the federal level,” Holland said of health reform. “And now, we have the opportunity to make it real on the grassroots level here in Kansas City, Kan.”
The meeting, held Tuesday at City Hall, drew about 30 people from organizations including the library, school district, social service agencies, churches, and courts. Stephene Moore, regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, also attended.
Organizers are calling the outreach effort Enroll Wyandotte. They used the kick-off meeting to brainstorm ways to reach residents who might be eligible for the subsidized health insurance offered through the marketplace.
“The people who are the most difficult to reach are the people who need it the most,” said Wesley McKain, who is helping to lead the effort through his role as program coordinator for Healthy Communities Wyandotte, a four-year-old initiative aimed at improving the indicators that have been used to rank Wyandotte one of the unhealthiest counties in the state.
One place to reach people is at the motor vehicle office in the Wyandotte County Courthouse, said Sheryl Bussell, court trustee for Wyandotte District Court. Her office handles child support from space in the courthouse.
She recommended that Enroll Wyandotte representatives come the last two days of each month, when the rush of last-minute registrants swells the motor-vehicles line and makes for some long waits.
Bussell said her work allows her to see what can happen in families that don’t have health insurance.
Someone who gets sick and has a job with no sick leave might end up getting fired, she said, “and then we have a mess in child support to deal with.”
Other ideas discussed at the meeting included:
- Getting information to Medicare recipients who might have younger spouses, and making that effort now during the open-enrollment period for Medicare.
- Including information about the marketplaces in neighborhood association newsletters.
- Combining enrollment with some of the other computer-based programs that the Kansas City, Kan., Housing Authority is beginning to offer with partners in its new technical training facility.
- Collecting old laptops that can be refurbished for help in enrolling people.
Glitches have plagued the online market places since they opened Oct. 1, but officials in Kansas have said the system is slowly improving.
Nearly 190,000 uninsured Kansans could purchase private coverage through the marketplace, according to an analysis by the Kansas Health Institute, the parent organization of the KHI News Service.
Eligibility for federal tax credits starts at 100 percent of federal poverty guidelines, which is $19,500 in annual income for a family of three.
Open enrollment in the marketplace plans runs through March 31.
Wyandotte County has about 40,000 uninsured residents, and Enroll Wyandotte organizers estimate that as many as 18,000 of them will be eligible to purchase insurance through the marketplace.
Enroll Wyandotte would like to get as many as 75 percent of those eligible residents enrolled, McKain said.
An immediate plan is to have literature available during parent-teacher conferences in the Kansas City, Kan. public schools this week, he said.
Parents of younger children are one key target demographic, McKain said. They are likely to fall into the category of young, healthy people who traditionally are less likely than other groups to purchase health insurance.
The Affordable Care Act, however, requires most people in the country to have health insurance if they can afford it or pay a tax penalty.
“Those people are the hardest to reach and a lot of that age group has kids that are in elementary school,” he said. “And so if those parents come to these parent-teacher conferences, we can give this information out to them.”
Next steps in the campaign, McKain said, include scheduling more outreach events and getting interested individuals trained to help people enroll.
Regional HHS Director Moore said federal officials have known all along that local efforts would be key to finding eligible applicants.
“I am thrilled to see this,” she said.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
REACH Foundation funds effort to get Wyandotte residents insured
By MIKE SHERRY, Kansas Health Institute
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The REACH Healthcare Foundation plans to underwrite a coordinator to help Wyandotte County residents obtain health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
Pattie Mansur, spokeswoman for REACH, said the foundation would work with the Community Health Council of Wyandotte County and that details were being finalized.
Mansur said REACH recognized a particular need in Wyandotte County, where more than a quarter of the population lacks health coverage, according to the regional health assessment the foundation released in June.
The Wyandotte County Public Health Department, which is part of the community health council, also is spearheading the Enroll Wyandotte campaign with several community partners.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The REACH Healthcare Foundation plans to underwrite a coordinator to help Wyandotte County residents obtain health insurance through the Affordable Care Act.
Pattie Mansur, spokeswoman for REACH, said the foundation would work with the Community Health Council of Wyandotte County and that details were being finalized.
Mansur said REACH recognized a particular need in Wyandotte County, where more than a quarter of the population lacks health coverage, according to the regional health assessment the foundation released in June.
The Wyandotte County Public Health Department, which is part of the community health council, also is spearheading the Enroll Wyandotte campaign with several community partners.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Praeger providing information on changes in health law
By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World
TOPEKA, KAN. — While politicians fume over the pros and cons of the Affordable Care Act, Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger is providing detailed information about the health law through a website, videos and public meetings across the state.
"We urge you to get the facts for yourself," Praeger said.
The website is insureKS.org, and questions can also be phoned in at 1-800-432-2482.
Information meetings are scheduled next week in Topeka, Independence and Emporia.
The ACA requires nearly every adult to purchase a minimum amount of health insurance coverage starting next year or pay a penalty.
Enrollment starts in the new health insurance marketplace on Tuesday. Individuals and small employers can compare private health insurance plans and purchase coverage.
The marketplaces also provide tax credits to help lower- and middle-income individuals pay for their policies.
TOPEKA, KAN. — While politicians fume over the pros and cons of the Affordable Care Act, Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger is providing detailed information about the health law through a website, videos and public meetings across the state.
"We urge you to get the facts for yourself," Praeger said.
The website is insureKS.org, and questions can also be phoned in at 1-800-432-2482.
Information meetings are scheduled next week in Topeka, Independence and Emporia.
The ACA requires nearly every adult to purchase a minimum amount of health insurance coverage starting next year or pay a penalty.
Enrollment starts in the new health insurance marketplace on Tuesday. Individuals and small employers can compare private health insurance plans and purchase coverage.
The marketplaces also provide tax credits to help lower- and middle-income individuals pay for their policies.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Kansas premiums lower than expected under new health insurance marketplaces, report says
By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World
TOPEKA, KAN. — Most Kansans will pay less than the national average for health insurance coverage offered under the Affordable Care Act’s new online marketplaces set to open next week, according to a government report released Wednesday.
The Obama administration released the new data and sought to ramp up efforts to educate the public about the ACA as critics in Congress continued to hammer the law and try to defund it.
Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer, a leading critic of the federal health care overhaul, said that the marketplace won’t be able to provide affordable coverage without far more competition.
Kansas is one of 36 states where the federal government is setting up or supporting the online marketplace, known as an exchange, which aims to help uninsured residents find health care at reasonable prices. Data released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shows Kansans will have an average of 37 qualified health plans from which to choose, compared to an average of 53 for consumers in all 36 states.
In Kansas, more than 355,000 people are uninsured.
TOPEKA, KAN. — Most Kansans will pay less than the national average for health insurance coverage offered under the Affordable Care Act’s new online marketplaces set to open next week, according to a government report released Wednesday.
The Obama administration released the new data and sought to ramp up efforts to educate the public about the ACA as critics in Congress continued to hammer the law and try to defund it.
Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer, a leading critic of the federal health care overhaul, said that the marketplace won’t be able to provide affordable coverage without far more competition.
Kansas is one of 36 states where the federal government is setting up or supporting the online marketplace, known as an exchange, which aims to help uninsured residents find health care at reasonable prices. Data released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shows Kansans will have an average of 37 qualified health plans from which to choose, compared to an average of 53 for consumers in all 36 states.
In Kansas, more than 355,000 people are uninsured.
Monday, September 23, 2013
$3.1 million Affordable Care Act grant comes to Kansas to help consumers review insurance rates
By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World
TOPEKA — Kansas' Republican political leaders continue to voice opposition to the Affordable Care Act, but the federal government continues implementation of the health reform law.
Today, Kansas was awarded $3.1 million in grants under the ACA to help the state keep health insurance rates in line.
The funds will be used to support state efforts to review health insurance rate requests and educate consumers by providing data on different prices charged by health care providers, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Kansas Department of Insurance.
"Strong rate review programs save consumers money, provide more information to the public, and hold insurance companies accountable," said Marilyn Tavenner, CMS Administrator.
"We are pleased that these awards are providing new opportunities to states to shed light on health pricing data so the public can find out more about the prices insurance companies pay for medical procedures, from hip replacements to X-rays," she said.
TOPEKA — Kansas' Republican political leaders continue to voice opposition to the Affordable Care Act, but the federal government continues implementation of the health reform law.
Today, Kansas was awarded $3.1 million in grants under the ACA to help the state keep health insurance rates in line.
The funds will be used to support state efforts to review health insurance rate requests and educate consumers by providing data on different prices charged by health care providers, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Kansas Department of Insurance.
"Strong rate review programs save consumers money, provide more information to the public, and hold insurance companies accountable," said Marilyn Tavenner, CMS Administrator.
"We are pleased that these awards are providing new opportunities to states to shed light on health pricing data so the public can find out more about the prices insurance companies pay for medical procedures, from hip replacements to X-rays," she said.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Kansas’ U.S. House delegation supports bill providing government funding but defunding Obamacare
By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World
KANSAS CITY, KAN. --- Kansas' all-Republican U.S. House delegation today supported the GOP plan that would provide stopgap funding to keep the government running but only if President Barack Obama's health care plan is defunded.
U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Topeka, whose district includes Lawrence, said the Affordable Care Act was hurting the economy and Kansans.
"While the President refuses to act, Kansans who are struggling to fight for themselves and their families in this weak economy have sent me to Washington to fight for them – to help make life a little easier for them. This is what I intend to do, and it starts with repealing and replacing the President’s health care law," Jenkins said.
The measure was approved in the Republican-controlled House 230-189 and now goes to the Senate where Democrats said it is dead on arrival. Even if it were to pass the Senate, President Obama said he would veto the bill.
Speaking at the Ford Motor plant in Claycomo, Mo., Obama defended the ACA, saying it would provide health coverage to millions of Americans who cannot afford it now.
He said House Republicans were jeopardizing the nation's economy by threatening to stop funding government and refusing to raise the debt ceiling if they can't de-fund the health reform law.
"They're focused on politics," Obama said. "They're focused on trying to mess with me, they're not focused on you," he said.
Margie Wakefield, a Democrat from Lawrence, who has announced that she will challenge Jenkins in 2014, said Jenkins' vote today "was a vote to shut down the government, pure and simple. It is past time for Congresswoman Jenkins to stop the political gamesmanship, stop standing in the way of solutions, and get to work passing a budget that will help businesses create jobs and protect Kansas families."
U.S. Reps. Tim Huelskamp, R-Fowler, Mike Pompeo, R-Wichita and Kevin Yoder, R-Overland Park also voted for the bill.
KANSAS CITY, KAN. --- Kansas' all-Republican U.S. House delegation today supported the GOP plan that would provide stopgap funding to keep the government running but only if President Barack Obama's health care plan is defunded.
U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Topeka, whose district includes Lawrence, said the Affordable Care Act was hurting the economy and Kansans.
"While the President refuses to act, Kansans who are struggling to fight for themselves and their families in this weak economy have sent me to Washington to fight for them – to help make life a little easier for them. This is what I intend to do, and it starts with repealing and replacing the President’s health care law," Jenkins said.
The measure was approved in the Republican-controlled House 230-189 and now goes to the Senate where Democrats said it is dead on arrival. Even if it were to pass the Senate, President Obama said he would veto the bill.
Speaking at the Ford Motor plant in Claycomo, Mo., Obama defended the ACA, saying it would provide health coverage to millions of Americans who cannot afford it now.
He said House Republicans were jeopardizing the nation's economy by threatening to stop funding government and refusing to raise the debt ceiling if they can't de-fund the health reform law.
"They're focused on politics," Obama said. "They're focused on trying to mess with me, they're not focused on you," he said.
Margie Wakefield, a Democrat from Lawrence, who has announced that she will challenge Jenkins in 2014, said Jenkins' vote today "was a vote to shut down the government, pure and simple. It is past time for Congresswoman Jenkins to stop the political gamesmanship, stop standing in the way of solutions, and get to work passing a budget that will help businesses create jobs and protect Kansas families."
U.S. Reps. Tim Huelskamp, R-Fowler, Mike Pompeo, R-Wichita and Kevin Yoder, R-Overland Park also voted for the bill.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Affordable Care Act nears major milestone; Brownback still opposed
By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World
With a month to go before the launch of a major portion of the Affordable Care Act, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback remains opposed to the law—even as some other Republican governors have softened their opposition and even begrudgingly accepted the new health insurance program in their states.
In October, people without health insurance can enroll in the new health care marketplace at the healthcare.gov website for coverage that beings Jan. 1. The website is already up and providing information.
More than 320,000 Kansans will be eligible for coverage through the marketplace, the Obama administration has said.
“Soon, the Health Insurance Marketplace will provide families and small businesses who currently don’t have insurance, or are looking for a better deal, a new way to find health coverage that fits their needs and their budgets,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, the former Kansas governor.
But two years ago, Brownback rejected a $31.5 million federal grant to set up a Kansas-based marketplace under the law known as “Obamacare.”
With a month to go before the launch of a major portion of the Affordable Care Act, Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback remains opposed to the law—even as some other Republican governors have softened their opposition and even begrudgingly accepted the new health insurance program in their states.
In October, people without health insurance can enroll in the new health care marketplace at the healthcare.gov website for coverage that beings Jan. 1. The website is already up and providing information.
More than 320,000 Kansans will be eligible for coverage through the marketplace, the Obama administration has said.
“Soon, the Health Insurance Marketplace will provide families and small businesses who currently don’t have insurance, or are looking for a better deal, a new way to find health coverage that fits their needs and their budgets,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, the former Kansas governor.
But two years ago, Brownback rejected a $31.5 million federal grant to set up a Kansas-based marketplace under the law known as “Obamacare.”
Friday, July 19, 2013
Kansans to receive $4 million in insurance refunds under Affordable Care Act, White House reports
By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World
Kansans will receive $4 million in refunds from insurance companies under a provision of the Affordable Care Act, according to figures released today by the White House.
The ACA requires that insurance companies spend at least 80 percent of premium dollars on health care. It is aimed at holding the line on insurers' administrative costs and executive bonuses.
Nationally, what are called Medical Loss Ratio refunds, totaled $504 million, benefiting 8.5 million Americans, the White House reported. In Kansas, 83,742 people are due $4.04 million.
"Recent reports show us that this policy is working — it’s holding insurance companies accountable and putting money back into the pockets of millions of middle-class Americans in the form of refunds, reimbursements or reduced premiums when consumers don’t get the value out of their premium dollars," the White House said in a statement.
Officials said the Medical Loss Ratio provision also reduces premiums as insurance companies operate more efficiently.
President Obama and his administration also said that the new Health Insurance Marketplace, which will take effect Oct. 1, will also provide affordable health coverage for people who are currently uninsured.
Kansans will receive $4 million in refunds from insurance companies under a provision of the Affordable Care Act, according to figures released today by the White House.
The ACA requires that insurance companies spend at least 80 percent of premium dollars on health care. It is aimed at holding the line on insurers' administrative costs and executive bonuses.
Nationally, what are called Medical Loss Ratio refunds, totaled $504 million, benefiting 8.5 million Americans, the White House reported. In Kansas, 83,742 people are due $4.04 million.
"Recent reports show us that this policy is working — it’s holding insurance companies accountable and putting money back into the pockets of millions of middle-class Americans in the form of refunds, reimbursements or reduced premiums when consumers don’t get the value out of their premium dollars," the White House said in a statement.
Officials said the Medical Loss Ratio provision also reduces premiums as insurance companies operate more efficiently.
President Obama and his administration also said that the new Health Insurance Marketplace, which will take effect Oct. 1, will also provide affordable health coverage for people who are currently uninsured.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Ruling leaves Medicaid expansion decision to state
By SCOTT ROTHSCHILD, The Lawrence Journal-World
If the Affordable Care Act remains the law of the land, Kansas policyholders will have an important decision to make that would affect more than 150,000 Kansans.
That would be whether to expand the Medicaid program, which is the federal- and state-funded program that provides health care in Kansas to low-income families, children and people with disabilities.
The ACA required that states expand their Medicaid programs to include all non-elderly persons with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $30,000 annually for a family of four, or risk losing all federal Medicaid funding. That eligibility expansion would have had a significant impact in Kansas because currently only adults who earn less than 27 percent of the federal poverty level — $6,035 for a family of four — are eligible for Medicaid, and childless adults don’t qualify at all unless they are elderly or have a disability.
While the U.S. Supreme Court upheld most of the ACA, it struck down the Medicaid requirement, making expansion of the program optional.
“That raises a lot of questions for states,” Suzanne Schrandt, of the Kansas Health Institute, said at a recent forum on the court’s ruling.
Schrandt said that of the state’s 350,000 uninsured people, 151,000 would qualify for the expanded Medicaid if Kansas enacts the changes.
Of those 151,000 who would qualify, 130,000 are low-income adults who currently do not qualify for Medicaid in Kansas, she said.
Gov. Sam Brownback is an ardent opponent of President Barack Obama’s health care law and has said he hopes presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney wins election in November and tries to repeal the law.
“Stopping Obamacare is now in the hands of the American people. It begins with a new president this fall,” Brownback said.
Attorney General Derek Schmidt said he was disappointed in the Supreme Court upholding the ACA but said the court’s ruling on Medicaid was a win for states. Kansas was one of 26 states that challenged the law and the proposed expansion of Medicaid was part of that challenge.
Referring to the court, Schmidt said, “It also rejected the federal government’s effort to transform the Medicaid program from a federal-state partnership into a centralized program run by Washington, from Washington and solely for Washington. These legal rulings will benefit the long-term vigor of our federal system.”
But Jay Angoff, the regional director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said when “cooler heads prevail,” states will expand Medicaid. Under the ACA, the federal government will pay the entire cost of newly eligible Medicaid population for three years. The federal contribution decreases to 90 percent by 2020 with the states picking up the remaining costs. The Obama administration has said 17 million people nationwide will be covered by the Medicaid expansion.
“The states will see what a good deal this is,” Angoff said.
If the Affordable Care Act remains the law of the land, Kansas policyholders will have an important decision to make that would affect more than 150,000 Kansans.
That would be whether to expand the Medicaid program, which is the federal- and state-funded program that provides health care in Kansas to low-income families, children and people with disabilities.
The ACA required that states expand their Medicaid programs to include all non-elderly persons with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $30,000 annually for a family of four, or risk losing all federal Medicaid funding. That eligibility expansion would have had a significant impact in Kansas because currently only adults who earn less than 27 percent of the federal poverty level — $6,035 for a family of four — are eligible for Medicaid, and childless adults don’t qualify at all unless they are elderly or have a disability.
While the U.S. Supreme Court upheld most of the ACA, it struck down the Medicaid requirement, making expansion of the program optional.
“That raises a lot of questions for states,” Suzanne Schrandt, of the Kansas Health Institute, said at a recent forum on the court’s ruling.
Schrandt said that of the state’s 350,000 uninsured people, 151,000 would qualify for the expanded Medicaid if Kansas enacts the changes.
Of those 151,000 who would qualify, 130,000 are low-income adults who currently do not qualify for Medicaid in Kansas, she said.
Gov. Sam Brownback is an ardent opponent of President Barack Obama’s health care law and has said he hopes presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney wins election in November and tries to repeal the law.
“Stopping Obamacare is now in the hands of the American people. It begins with a new president this fall,” Brownback said.
Attorney General Derek Schmidt said he was disappointed in the Supreme Court upholding the ACA but said the court’s ruling on Medicaid was a win for states. Kansas was one of 26 states that challenged the law and the proposed expansion of Medicaid was part of that challenge.
Referring to the court, Schmidt said, “It also rejected the federal government’s effort to transform the Medicaid program from a federal-state partnership into a centralized program run by Washington, from Washington and solely for Washington. These legal rulings will benefit the long-term vigor of our federal system.”
But Jay Angoff, the regional director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said when “cooler heads prevail,” states will expand Medicaid. Under the ACA, the federal government will pay the entire cost of newly eligible Medicaid population for three years. The federal contribution decreases to 90 percent by 2020 with the states picking up the remaining costs. The Obama administration has said 17 million people nationwide will be covered by the Medicaid expansion.
“The states will see what a good deal this is,” Angoff said.
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