Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Dueling health plans
[Editorial, "Mesh proposals for health care," The Kansas City Star, 9 March 2005.
Scott Rothschild, "House kills governor's health care plan," The Lawrence Journal-World, 9 March 2005.]
The big news today is that one plan is gone and another has taken its place. Governor Sebelius's executive order to consolidate state government departments in health care was rejected by the House. As a replacement, the GOP has announced a similar consolidation effort:
On Tuesday legislative leaders finally came forth with a proposal that signaled a possible break in the gridlock. Their recommendation for a “Kansas Health Policy Authority” appears to incorporate many of the good ideas Sebelius and Praeger had proposed.
This all smacks of much ado about nothing much. While more efficient delivery of services through consolidation of agencies may yield some benefits, it is a move unlikely to stem rising health care costs and truly turn around programs such as Medicaid that are driving state spending through the roof. If the focus remains on reorganization going forward, then neither the Governor nor the legislature will have effectively addressed the state budget as a whole or health care in particular.
[Matthew Hisrich, "Kansas Needs Bold Medicaid Reform," The Wichita Eagle, 21 January 2004.]
[Editorial, "Mesh proposals for health care," The Kansas City Star, 9 March 2005.
Scott Rothschild, "House kills governor's health care plan," The Lawrence Journal-World, 9 March 2005.]
The big news today is that one plan is gone and another has taken its place. Governor Sebelius's executive order to consolidate state government departments in health care was rejected by the House. As a replacement, the GOP has announced a similar consolidation effort:
On Tuesday legislative leaders finally came forth with a proposal that signaled a possible break in the gridlock. Their recommendation for a “Kansas Health Policy Authority” appears to incorporate many of the good ideas Sebelius and Praeger had proposed.
This all smacks of much ado about nothing much. While more efficient delivery of services through consolidation of agencies may yield some benefits, it is a move unlikely to stem rising health care costs and truly turn around programs such as Medicaid that are driving state spending through the roof. If the focus remains on reorganization going forward, then neither the Governor nor the legislature will have effectively addressed the state budget as a whole or health care in particular.
[Matthew Hisrich, "Kansas Needs Bold Medicaid Reform," The Wichita Eagle, 21 January 2004.]
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