TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas House committee is working on a proposal to expand the state’s Medicaid program to capture additional federal dollars promised by the federal health care overhaul.
The Vision 2020 Committee heard testimony Monday in favor of expanding Medicaid from the Kansas Hospital Association and the state’s largest health system, Via Christi.
Committee Chairman and Lawrence Republican Tom Sloan said a bill should be drafted within a few weeks.
The state’s $3 billion-a-year Medicaid program provides health coverage for the needy and disabled, but it doesn’t cover childless adults without disabilities.
The 2010 federal health care law promises to pay all of the cost of expanding Medicaid through 2016 and at least 90 percent after that. But many Kansas Republicans remain skeptical the federal government will keep its promises.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas geologists say they need more funding to investigate an unprecedented spike in earthquakes in the state.
Kansas Geological Survey Director Rex Buchanan told the House Energy and Environment Committee on Monday that about half a million dollars is needed to beef up seismic monitoring. The agency recorded 206 earthquakes in 2013 and 2014 after detecting just three from 2004 through 2012.
Buchanan said the agency is still studying the problem, but they see a connection between the earthquakes and the practice of injecting wastewater into underground wells. This technique is used as a part of several mining processes, including the hydraulic fracking process.
Fracking is used to get at previously unreachable oil and natural gas deposits. However, some activists have criticized the practice as excessively harmful to the environment.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced in a media release on Monday that a Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing crack cocaine to distribute.
James C. Allen, 52, of Kansas City, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
On Sept. 22, 2014, Allen pleaded guilty to possessing crack cocaine with the intent to distribute. Allen admitted that he was carrying 3.8 grams of crack cocaine in one of his boots, where it was packaged in over 30 separate plastic baggies for sale. Allen was arrested at a park located at 918 E. Ninth Street on July 30, 2013. At the time of his arrest, Allen also was in possession of an SCCY 9mm pistol.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Barnes. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — A former executive of the firm managing part of the privatized Medicaid program in Kansas has asked a judge to toss out counterclaims accusing her of trying to extort $3 million.
Sunflower State Health Plan Inc. and parent Centene Corporation made the extortion claims last month while responding to the federal lawsuit filed in October by former Sunflower Vice President Jacqueline Leary.
Her lawsuit contends she was wrongfully fired after protesting potentially improper cost-cutting moves for the Kansas Medicaid program.
On Monday, Leary asked the court to dismiss the counterclaims brought by her former employer — arguing those accusations were made as retaliation for her filing the lawsuit.
Medicaid covers health services for the poor and disabled. Kansas has turned its administration over to Sunflower and two other private companies.
PAOLA – A Kansas man died and two others were injured in an accident just before 8:30 a.m. on Monday in Miami County.
The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2007 Chevy Impala driven by Tyler Russell, 28, Rantoul, was westbound on Kansas 68 just east of Crescent Hill Road.
The vehicle drifted into the eastbound lanes side swiping a 2002 Dodge Dakota and colliding head-on with a 2004 Chevy Trail Blazer driven by Nicole R. Dotson, 35, Lawrence.
Russell was pronounced dead at the scene and transported to First Call Mortuary.
The driver of the Dodge Joseph Brandi, 66, Lane, was transported to Overland Park Regional Medical Center. Dotson was transported to Ransom Memorial Hospital in Ottawa.
The KHP reported Russell was not wearing a seat belt.
RICHMOND – A Missouri woman died and five people were injured in an accident just before 1:30 a.m. on Sunday in Ray County.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported a 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Carey G. Jones, 40, Kansas City, was traveling on Mo. 210 at Egypt Road.
The vehicle crossed the centerline and struck a 2005 Nissan Altima head-on.
A passenger in the Nissan Rachel M. Bailey, 22, Richmond, was pronounced dead at the scene and transported Polley’s Funeral Home.
The driver of the Nissan Crystal G. Streiler, 37, Richmond, was transported to Liberty Hospital in serious condition. Four others in the Nissan were also transported for treatment of moderate injuries.
Jones was transported to Truman Medical Center.
The MSHP reported he was not wearing a seat belt.
By ALEX SMITH
Republican Missouri State Sen. Ryan Silvey of Kansas City announced a plan that would expand Medicaid for veterans and their families.
At a press event at the Capitol, Silvey introduced the Veteran’s Family Healthcare Act, which would provide Medicaid coverage for veterans, their spouses and dependent children with incomes between 19 percent and 138 percent of the federal poverty level.
“If we can’t solve the whole problem, let’s solve a piece of it,” Silvey said.
The plan is designed to help fill the “coverage gap” for those with incomes too low to qualify for federal insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act and too high to qualify for the current state Medicaid program.
Spouses and children of deceased veterans would also be eligible for coverage.
Silvey estimates around 50,000 veterans and family members would benefit from the expanded eligibility.
For many healthcare advocates who have been lobbying to expand Medicaid for all Missourians in the coverage gap, Silvey’s plan is a step forward.
“It’s the beginning of a discussion that needs to happen in this 2015 legislative session,” says Andrea Routh, executive director of the Missouri Health Advocacy Alliance.
Thomas McAuliffe, Director of Health Policy for the Missouri Foundation for Health, applauded the proposal, but he said it wouldn’t affect his group’s campaign for full Medicaid expansion.
“It’s very much a kind of ‘yay/boo,’” McAuliffe said. “Yay: those who might be uninsured may have some hope, but – boo: the people who are not veterans and still citizens of the state of Missouri do not have that same opportunity.”
Some of the Missouri senate’s strongest Medicaid expansion opponents, including Republican Sen. Rob Schaaf of St. Joseph and Republican Ed Emery of Lamar, have already signaled resistance to Silvey’s proposal.
“It sounds like just a stripped-down version of the Medicaid expansion,” Emery said. “I think trying to leverage the veterans to get approval there is probably not fair to the veterans.”
Emery, Schaaf and many conservatives have fought Medicaid expansion over concerns about costs and resistance to expanding government programs.
Silvey is a reluctant proponent of Medicaid expansion. The senator opposed the Affordable Care Act but has sought a compromise that would expand the state program while addressing conservatives’ concerns.
Alex Smith is a reporter for Heartland Health Monitor, a news collaboration focusing on health issues and their impact in Missouri and Kansas.
JEFFERSON CITY (AP) – A state audit shows Missouri has spent $376,000 flying commissioners to meetings across the state.
A report released Monday by state Auditor Tom Schweich notes the state could have saved $294,000 reimbursing conservation and transportation commissioners for driving instead in 2012 and 2013.
The transportation and conservation departments responded in the audit that the flights are necessary to get commissioners to meetings in a timely manner.
The Department of Transportation plans to continue flying commissioners on state planes despite Schweich’s recommendation to drive.
The audit also notes the fleet of 19 planes is unnecessarily large and consequently is underused. The report notes Missouri’s six passenger planes on average were used to capacity only about 10 percent of the time they were available to fly.
DETROIT (AP) — At least 50 people have died in crashes involving General Motors cars with defective ignition switches.
Attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who was hired by GM to compensate victims, updated the totals Monday.
With five days before the deadline to file claims, Feinberg has received 338 death claims and 2,730 for injuries.
So far he’s deemed a total of 50 deaths and 75 injuries eligible for compensation.
GM knew about faulty ignition switches in Chevrolet Cobalts and other small cars for more than a decade but didn’t recall them until February. The switches can slip out of the “on” position, which causes the cars to stall, knocks out power steering and turns off the air bags.
KANSAS CITY (AP) – Three Kansas City teenagers have been charged in the shooting death of a 14-year-old girl.
The Jackson County prosecutor’s office announced Sunday that 17-year-old Issac M. Carter, 17-year-old Ce-Antonyo D. Kennedy and 18-year-old Dominic McDaniel face charges of first-degree murder and armed criminal action in the death of Alexis Kane.
Prosecutors have requested that each defendant be held on a cash bond of $500,000. It wasn’t immediately known if they had attorneys.
Court records say Kane was found shot to death Jan. 11 on the grounds of The Bay Waterpark in south Kansas City. Multiple 9mm shells were found at the scene.
Friends said she had met two men at a gas station and got into a vehicle with them. Surveillance video later showed her being physically assaulted and shot.
