KHI News Service

KHI News Service specializes in coverage of health issues facing Kansans. It is an independent news gathering agency with a staff of four reporters that exists within the Kansas Health Institute. KHI News Service reports are made available free of charge to various other news outlets, including all members of the Kansas Press Association.

Featured Report

Counties face loss of underage drinking prevention funds

One-time $10 million federal grant administered by SRS to end in June

0 | Community Health, Prevention

"If they can vote and they can go to war, then they can sure enough drink." Elizabeth Stamper said she hears that a lot in her line of her work. She's the point person in Seward County for coordinating underage drinking prevention efforts.

Brownback appoints Gilmore new SRS secretary, unveils ERO

0 | Feb. 03, 2012 | KDHE, KDoA, SRS, Medicaid-CHIP

Gov. Sam Brownback today appointed former legislator Phyllis Gilmore to be secretary of the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, following the troubled tenure of Rob Siedlecki, who resigned in December after just a year at the post.

SRS admits lax investigation of abuse reports

0 | Feb. 02, 2012 | SRS, Legislature, Medicaid-CHIP

The acting head of the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services today apologized for the agency not doing enough to investigate reports of elder abuse and neglect.

Bills aimed at youth ‘pharm parties’ and use of e-cigs before committee

0 | Feb. 02, 2012 | Children, Tobacco

Two bills before a House corrections committee are aimed at growing problems among youths in Leavenworth County, according to county officials.

Dental association says new program will increase access in rural areas

0 | Feb. 02, 2012 | KDHE

A new Kansas Dental Association program aims to recruit new dentists to work in the state's "dental deserts."

Registration open for faith-based initiative aimed at SEK health

0 | Feb. 02, 2012 | Rural Health, Social Determinants of Health

The "Leadership and Faith, Southeast Kansas" program is intended to equip community members with leadership skills and build on the momentum of Project 17, an initiative aimed at improving the economy and quality of life in southeast Kansas.

Selling doctors on rural communities

0 | Feb. 02, 2012 | Workforce, Rural Health

Recruiting doctors to live and work in rural America is a chronic problem. Most health centers try to attract workers with big salaries, a home on a golf course or other cushy perks. Not so in Ashland, Kan., population 855, where the CEO of a tiny hospital is building a reverse recruitment model based on remote access and problems commonly found in third-world countries.

Testimony favors diversion agreements for the mentally ill

0 | Feb. 01, 2012 | Legislature, Mental Health

A father whose mentally ill son has had several encounters with police testified in favor of a bill that would create a legal framework so that low-level offenders who are mentally ill could get treatment in lieu of jail time.

Wichita lawmaker introduces KanCare oversight bill

0 | Feb. 01, 2012 | Legislature, Medicaid-CHIP

A Wichita lawmaker has introduced a bill that would require an annual evaluation of the state's Medicaid managed care contractors.

War savings may be key to long-term 'doc fix' deal

0 | Feb. 01, 2012 | Congress

KHN's Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about the congressional conference committee trying to hammer out a bargain on a payroll tax cut extension and the Medicare "doc fix." If the conferees — who are now discussing the possibility of a permanent "doc fix" — fail to agree to a proposal, doctors who see Medicare patients are in line for a 27 percent cut slated to take effect in March.

Blue Cross Kansas not bidding on KanCare proposal

0 | Feb. 01, 2012 | Insurance, Medicaid-CHIP

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas has notified doctors and other providers that company officials have decided against bidding on Gov. Sam Brownback's KanCare proposal. "It would have required us to dramatically change our business model to serve new populations in different settings in less than a year," a Blue Cross official wrote. "We decided that we could not responsibly commit to so great a change at this time."

Nursing home administrators pan abuse hotline

0 | Jan. 31, 2012 | SRS, Legislature, Health Care Delivery

The chairman of the House Committee on Aging and Long-term Care says he's fed up with SRS' adminstration of the hotline for reporting adult abuse and exploitation.

Brownback appoints Gilmore new SRS secretary, unveils ERO

0 | Feb. 03, 2012 | KDHE, KDoA, SRS, Medicaid-CHIP

Gov. Sam Brownback today appointed former legislator Phyllis Gilmore to be secretary of the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, following the troubled tenure of Rob Siedlecki, who resigned in December after just a year at the post.

Dental association says new program will increase access in rural areas

0 | Feb. 02, 2012 | KDHE

A new Kansas Dental Association program aims to recruit new dentists to work in the state's "dental deserts."

Blue Cross Kansas not bidding on KanCare proposal

0 | Feb. 01, 2012 | Insurance, Medicaid-CHIP

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas has notified doctors and other providers that company officials have decided against bidding on Gov. Sam Brownback's KanCare proposal. "It would have required us to dramatically change our business model to serve new populations in different settings in less than a year," a Blue Cross official wrote. "We decided that we could not responsibly commit to so great a change at this time."

Wichita lawmaker introduces KanCare oversight bill

0 | Feb. 01, 2012 | Legislature, Medicaid-CHIP

A Wichita lawmaker has introduced a bill that would require an annual evaluation of the state's Medicaid managed care contractors.

SRS admits lax investigation of abuse reports

0 | Feb. 02, 2012 | SRS, Legislature, Medicaid-CHIP

The acting head of the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services today apologized for the agency not doing enough to investigate reports of elder abuse and neglect.

Testimony favors diversion agreements for the mentally ill

0 | Feb. 01, 2012 | Legislature, Mental Health

A father whose mentally ill son has had several encounters with police testified in favor of a bill that would create a legal framework so that low-level offenders who are mentally ill could get treatment in lieu of jail time.

Selling doctors on rural communities

0 | Feb. 02, 2012 | Workforce, Rural Health

Recruiting doctors to live and work in rural America is a chronic problem. Most health centers try to attract workers with big salaries, a home on a golf course or other cushy perks. Not so in Ashland, Kan., population 855, where the CEO of a tiny hospital is building a reverse recruitment model based on remote access and problems commonly found in third-world countries.

Issue Brief: The Growing Health and Financial Costs of Inadequate Health Insurance

0 | Jan. 01, 2009 | Health Insurance, Underinsurance

This introduction to the issue of underinsurance discusses the difficulty in determining what constitutes underinsurance and alerts policymakers to issues they should consider when addressing this issue.

No information released on KanCare bidders

0 | Jan. 31, 2012 | Medicaid-CHIP

Today was the first of two deadlines for Medicaid managed care proposals to be submitted to Kansas purchasing officials. But no information about the KanCare bidders will be released until the second deadline, which is next month. Feb. 22 is when interested companies must have turned in the financial information accompanying their plan proposals.

Video: Community Water Fluoridation

3 | Jun. 22, 2011 | About KHI

In this video, KHI senior analyst Tatiana Lin discusses community water fluoridation from a public health perspective.

SRS defends change in food stamp policy

1 | Jan. 30, 2012 | Children, SRS, Legislature, Nutrition

A top official at the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services defended a change in policy that has resulted in at least 1,000 children being dropped from the state’s food stamp program.

Governor hints at money targeted for waiting-list problem

1 | Jan. 20, 2012 | Government, Medicaid-CHIP

Gov. Sam Brownback on Friday hinted that his administration might use a portion of the revenues gained from his proposed elimination of the state’s earned income tax credit to help reduce long-standing waiting lists for services for the disabled.

Bill would take developmentally disabled services out of Medicaid makeover plan

1 | Jan. 20, 2012 | Legislature

A Wichita lawmaker has introduced a bill that would remove long-term care services for the developmentally disabled from the governor's plan to expand Medicaid managed care.

Cuts in mental health funding affect veterans

1 | Jan. 17, 2012 | Legislature, Mental Health

Recent cuts in community mental health center budgets are harming veterans and their families, according to a center director.

Brownback tax plan would harm poor families, advocates say

1 | Jan. 12, 2012 | Budget, Legislature

Advocates for poor and low-income families say Gov. Sam Brownback’s plan to eliminate the state’s earned income tax credit would hurt those that administration officials say it’s meant to help.

Senators seek constitutional amendment for 'rainy day' fund

1 | Jan. 05, 2012 | Budget, Legislature

A majority of the Kansas Senate, including Republicans and Democrats, have agreed to seek an amendment to the state constitution requiring that 0.25 percent of annual state revenues go into a budget stabilization fund.

Legislators aim to revamp oversight committee

1 | Jan. 03, 2012 | Legislature, Medicaid-CHIP

With lawmakers poised to return to the Statehouse next week for the launch of the 2012 session, key legislators from both parties say they want to revamp the Health Policy Oversight Committee so that is has a new focus on monitoring the state's Medicaid managed care contracts.

Johnson County and Lawrence suspend use of Kansas River water due to algae concern

2 | Sep. 14, 2011 | Community Health, Environment, KDHE

Officials in Johnson County and Lawrence have temporarily stopped drawing municipal drinking water from the Kansas River because of a new problem with a potentially toxic, blue-green algae.

Senior services at risk

1 | May. 11, 2009 | Letters

Jim Beckwith, executive director of the Northeast Kansas Area Agency on Aging, describes the impact of further state cuts in social service spending on the people his agency serves.

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The KHI News Service is an editorially-independent program of the Kansas Health Institute and is committed to timely, objective and in-depth coverage of health issues and the policy making environment.