Lowering the cost of healthcare remains one of the top priorities for Americans, according to public opinion polls. In Kansas, over half of the population receives health coverage through an employer’s health benefits program ─ and data show that premiums for employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) increased by nearly 40 percent over 10 years, taking up 8.4 percent of compensation for private sector employees in Kansas in 2020 (a rate higher than in 28 other states).
On Thursday, June 16, 2022, the Kansas Health Institute held an event looking at the affordability of health insurance from the perspective of the employer and the options available for state policymakers to address the rising cost of healthcare. Highlights, materials and videos from the event are below.
Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Premiums
Phillip Steiner, MA, Senior Analyst with the Kansas Health Institute, provided an overview of the rise in employer-sponsored health insurance premiums over the last decade:
Panel Discussion: Employer Perspectives
Scott Glasrud, President, SAG Enterprises LLC, moderated this panel.
Panelists:
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- Cameron Ahrens, Benefits and Wellness Manager, Johnson County Government.
- Collier Case, President & CEO, Mid-America Coalition on Health Care.
- Shelley Duncan, MA, LCP, Executive Director, Kansas Business Group on Health.
- Kim Walker, PHR, SHRM-CP, HR Benefits Partner, Bartlett & West.
Healthcare Affordability in Kansas and State Policy Options
Alexandra Allen, Health Policy Analyst, Altarum Healthcare Value Hub, discussed state policy options for Kansas.
Panel Discussion: State Policy Options
Robert F. St. Peter, MD, former President & CEO of the Kansas Health Institute, moderated this panel. Panel members and links to information they presented are below.
Louise Probst, MBA, RN, Midwest Health Initiative and St. Louis Area Business Health Coalition.
Samantha Scotti, Project Manager, Health Program, National Conference of State Legislatures.
Joseph W. Thompson, MD, MPH, President & CEO, Arkansas Center for Health Improvement.
Utah Representative Norman Thurston, Executive Director, National Association of Health Data Organizations.
Other resources cited during the meeting:
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- Yes, More and More of Your Paycheck Goes to Health Care in Kansas and Missouri. Here’s Why. (KCUR Kansas City, Celia Llopis-Jepsen)
- While Kansas Keeps Hospital Data Under Lock And Key, Colorado Helps Employers Dig Into Cost Of Care (KCUR Kansas City, Celia Llopis-Jepsen)
- 100 Million People in America Are Saddled With Health Care Debt (Kaiser Family Foundation, Noam N. Levey)
- West Health-Gallup 2021 Healthcare in America Report
News coverage of the meeting: