Surprise! DD Carve Out Amendment in the House

Earlier this morning, Representative Jim Ward proposed his "DD Carve Out" legislation as an amendment to the KanCare oversight bill (HB 2789) on the floor of the House.  An initial attempt to block discussion was made by Representative Crum who raised a point of order and asked the Chair of House Rules to rule if Rep. Ward's ammendemnt was germane (aka relevant) to the bill. The amendment was ruled as germane and the Speaker and House Leadership did not further challenge the amendment based on these procedural grounds.

Debate regarding the 'Ward Amendment' ensued leading with comments in support of carving out long-term DD care from Representative Pat Colloton.  Representatives Worley, Swanson, Trimmer, Rubin, Otto and Keigerl all spoke in support of the amendment.

Representative Rhoades, Crum and Landwehr opposed the amendment. Representative Crum eventually moved to send the whole bill (KanCare Oversight + DD Carve Out amendment) back to committee.  At this motion Representative Ward criticized the handling of his original bill to carve out long-term DD care by the chair of the House Health & Human Services Committee, Brenda Landwehr and emphatically instisted that today was the time to vote on the issue.

Alas, the motion to re-refer the bill back to committee was voted upon by the House and passed.

BUT! Do not feel defeated.  While the amendment did not get adopted we saw a great show of support for your position to carve out long-term care services for persons with DD.  This morning's activity on this issue was a pleasant surprise and thanks are owed to Rep. Jim Ward for forcing this issue to the table for discussion.

Please continue your advocacy with your legislators, be sure to thank those who showed support for you today, and stay tuned - more action and more ways to flex your advocacy muscles are on the horizon for April!

"Not Worth the Gamble!" Rally: Great Participation!

Wendell Potter addresses the crowd

Participants filled packed the house!

Participants wore their 'Not Worth the Gamble - Carve out DD!' shirts

Over 500 attendees came to the Rally

They came by car, they came by van, they even came by the bus-load to the "Not Worth the Gamble!" Rally last Tuesday. Clad in red "Not Worth the Gamble!" t-shirts, you couldn't stop the on-pouring of more than 500 attendees filling - nearly overflowing - the ballroom of the Ramada Inn Topeka. Rally attendees were revved up and ready to make their voices and concerns about KanCare heard!

The Rally kicked off with opening remarks from InterHab Executive Director,Tom Laing; InterHab's Governmental Affairs Committee chairperson, Alice Lackey; and InterHab's Board of Directors' President, Colin McKenney. Afterward, featured speaker Wendell Potter addressed the crowd, sharing his experience as a former public relations executive for a top insurance company. He also shared skepticism in Governor Brownback's KanCare plan to overhaul Medicaid. Potter indicated that insurance companies are ultimately responsible to their shareholders and the pressure to create profits. Mr. Potter encouraged the crowd to continue their advocacy and to continue urging Kansas leaders to question the components of the KanCare plan.

With that advice in mind, participants traveled to the Capitol to share their concerns regarding KanCare. Hundreds of Rally participants filled the wings of the Capitol as they urged legislators to sign and support both the House and Senate Resolutions to delay KanCare by six months and continued to share with legislators their desire to see long-term DD services removed from KanCare.

"The Not Worth the Gamble!" Rally generated a remarkable turnout and resulted in a significant message to the Administration and to Kansas legislators from across the state. And while this event is over our fight to carve out DD long-term care remains.  So we must build on the momentum that our combined efforts have built!  Continue contacting your legislators, continue contacting the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, continue educating community members, parents and advocates and draw on the inspiration that the "Not Worth the Gamble!" Rally gives us - the reminder that together, we are stronger and together, we can be heard.

Plight to Carve out Long-term DD Care continues...

Richard Crowson - The Wichita Eagle

Be sure to email your legislators and the Governor today! www.invisiblekansans.com

Article Update: Bipartisan Group Resolution to Delay KanCare

House & Senate Resolution to Delay KanCare: Press Conference
Wednesday afternoon a bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives held a press conference to discuss resolutions in both the House and Senate to delay implementation of KanCare by 6 months.  The resolution indicates a delay of 6 months would be helpful to allow for further public input on the implementation; allow for further review by legislators and by the Kansas Insurance Department.  The resolution also indicates the delay will allow more time to obtain the federal approval of waivers necessary to implement KanCare (approval which has not yet been received).  Finally, this resolution to delay implementation endeavors to further define day-to-day operations of how the KanCare system would work (for example adequate billing of claims).

Click here to read the complete resolution

Please urge your legislators to sign onto this resolution!  House members who are interested in signing the resolution can contact Representatives Bethell or Henry.  Interested Senators can contact Senators Kelly or Kelsey.  You can contact your legislator about this issue at www.invisiblekansans.com

Please also send a thank you to the following House and Senate members for their efforts and representation at yesterday's press conference:

• Senators:
• Anthony Hensley, Dick Kelsey, Laura Kelly
• Representatives:
• Bob Bethell, Bill Feuerborn, Jerry Henry, Eber Phelps

KC Star Editorial
“Stop the rush toward risky Medicaid change”

The Wichita Eagle
Kansas legislators urge delay in Medicaid changes

Topeka Capitol Journal
Legislators propose to delay Medicaid reform

KHI
Legislators push to delay KanCare start

Article Update: Senate/House Resolution to Delay KanCare Coming Soon!

Wow, this week has been packed with activity and discussion on KanCare - and it's only Tuesday.  Please review the following articles from KHI News Service and an editorial by Pattie Knauff published in the Wichita Eagle.

March 6, 2012: Kaiser Health News
"Medicaid: Lawmakers Ask Kansas Gov. To Wait On 'Ambitious' Changes

March 5, 2012: Kansas Health Institute
Legislators to propose KanCare delay: Resolutions to be introduced in the House and Senate


March 5, 2012: Kansas Health Institute
Brownback Medicaid makeover an "ambitious" plan


March 5, 2012: Wichita Eagle - Letter to Editor
Why won't state listen on DD care?


March 5, 2012: Kansas Health Institute
KanCare concerns voiced at forum


March 5, 2012: Kansas Health Institute
New Medicaid waiver process stipulates public meeting and comment


March 5, 2012: The Topeka Capital-Journal
"Panelists: Take Medicaid concerns to legislators, feds"

March 5, 2012: The Newton Kansan
"Parents concerned with KanCare Plan"

Legislative Calendar: March 5 - 9

HOUSE:

Monday:

Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee:

1:30 PM                RM 144-S

SB 249 – Relating to employees; criminal history background check

Tuesday:

Appropriations Committee:

9:00 AM               RM 346-S

Budget Recommendations on Aging and SRS

Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee:

1:30 PM                RM 144-S

HB 2497 – Amending procedures concerning a defendant’s competency to stand trial

Wednesday:

Appropriations Committee:

9:00 AM               RM 346-S

Budget Recommendations on SRS

Corrections and Juvenile Justice Committee:

1:30 PM                RM 144-S

SB 306 – Intimidation of a witness; including SRS personnel and mandatory abuse reporters as protected witnesses

Education Committee:

9:00 AM               DSOB 784

SB 260 – Eliminating minimum and maximum calculations of special education state aid

SENATE:

Monday:

Ways and Means Committee:

10:30 AM             548-S

Subcommittee report on SRS hospitals

Confirmation hearing for Phyllis Gillmore, SRS

Tuesday:

Ways and Means Committee:

10:30 AM             548-S

SB 427 – Kansas housing loan deposit program; expanding the program to include the building or rehabilitation of adult care homes

Wednesday:

Public Health and Welfare Committee:

1:30 PM                546-S

HB 2471 – Regarding the board of adult care home administrators

HB 2631 – dental care availability and access

Thursday:

Ways and Means Subcommittee on SRS:

On Adjournment             548-S

Aging and SRS – agency presentations

Public Health and Welfare Committee:

1:30 PM                546-S

HB 2416 – Transfer of powers and duties of KHPA

Education Committee:

1:30 PM                RM 152-S

HB 2444 – Seclusion and restraint

Friday:

Ways and Means Committee:

10:30 AM             548-S

SB 444 – Relating to employment of disabled individuals and competitive bids for state contracts

Ways and Means Subcommittee on SRS:

On Adjournment             548-S

Aging and SRS – public testimony

Article Update: Managed Care

Below are recent news articles and opinion articles on managed care:



March 3, 2012
The Clay Center Dispatch - Video
"Sen Taddiken on KanCare"

March 2, 2012
The Washington Times - Opinion
"Perils of one-size-fits-all Medicaid: State's racing to managed care risk endangering most vulnerable"

March 2, 2012
The Newton Kansan - Letter to Editor
"Concerned about KanCare"

March 2, 2012
The Wichita Eagle - Letter to Editor
DD shift unjust

February 29, 2012
The Hutchinson News
"Don't 'fix' Medicaid"

February 29, 2012
Hays Daily News - Letter to Editor
"People ahead of things"

Meet Your Managed Care Partners: WellCare

Health News Florida recently published an update regarding a long-running lawsuit against WellCare Health Plans in Tampa, Florida.  While the article focuses mostly on WellCare's settlement and  future opportunities, it also contains some details regarding the background of the lawsuit, criminal charges being faced by former CEOs and other financial corruption.  Below is just an excerpt from the article:

WellCare: Free at last?
(Excerpt)

"When the Hellein lawsuit was unsealed in June 2010, as HNF reported , it described financial corruption that went far beyond the top executives. It alleged:



--WellCare conducted a study to figure out which Medicaid recipients were profitable and which were not so that it could engage in ``cherry-picking,'' a term for enrolling only the profitable members. The study found that disenrolling a baby born with health problems saved the company an average of $20,000; each terminally ill patient saved $11,500.


Those who were persuaded to resign from WellCare went into the general Medicaid or Medicare fee-for-service programs. The employees who pulled that off got bonuses, according to Hellein.



--WellCare moved money between accounts to make it appear that patients' treatment cost much more than it actually did. In some cases, the company made payments years in advance to jack up the apparent cost of care to fool states into increasing Medicaid premiums. .


-- When states made overpayment errors, WellCare didn't pay the money back, as its contract requires. Florida Medicaid made a series of overpayment blunders that fattened WellCare's bottom line by many millions; those who made the errors included both state officials and contractors.


--Sometimes hospitals and physician groups helped WellCare hide its true spending from Medicaid programs by accepting payments through one account for expenses incurred by another. Sometimes they allowed WellCare to pay for future years' expenses to make it appear spending for the current year was higher than it actually was."


Click here to review the full article:
http://www.healthnewsflorida.org/top_story/read/wellcare_free_at_last#.T0vsMolmdxE.email

"Health News Florida is an independent online publication dedicated to public-service journalism."