Kansas Health Institute |

Legislature wades into tax bills this week After weeks of talking about weak revenues and budget cuts, the Legislature this week takes up various tax proposals ranging from elimination of sales tax exemptions to a new tax on soda pop. Continue Reading

Parkinson signs smoking ban into law The signing of a bill Friday to enact a statewide smoking ban was a victory for public health officials, Gov. Mark Parkinson said. Continue Reading

Kansas Supreme Court to rule on malpractice case Medical providers and others are anxiously waiting to see what the Kansas Supreme Court will do about the state's $250,000 cap on awards for pain and suffering in medical malpractice cases. Continue Reading

Hospital group is backing tobacco tax increase The Kansas Hospital Association will throw its lobbying clout behind a proposed increase in the state tobacco tax to restore a cut in the Medicaid rates paid to providers. Tom Bell, KHA president, said in an interview with the KHI News Service and State of the State KS, that the 194-member association would back Gov. Mark Parkinson’s call for increasing the tax on cigarettes from 79 cents to $1.34 per pack and also raising levies on other tobacco products. Continue Reading

Kansas County Health Rankings 2009 This report, a first-of-its-kind for Kansas, ranks all 105 counties in the state according to the health and well-being of their citizens. And it demonstrates the extent to which factors other than health care influence our health. Continue Reading

Policy & Research

Kansans Not Following Nutrition Guidelines: Findings from the Kansas Health and Nutrition Survey

0 | Mar. 02, 2010 | Nutrition

A look at how well Kansans’ nutritional intake conforms to the national recommended dietary guidelines.

Scarce Resource Allocation Planning Documents for the State of Kansas

0 | Feb. 26, 2010 | Health Care Delivery

During a public health emergency, there is a need to have established plans with directions for maximizing the efficient use of available resources. KHI has drafted two reports, produced upon request from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, that outline recommendations for developing these type of plans at the state, regional and local levels. KHI and KDHE are seeking feedback from stakeholders in reviewing and providing comments about these reports.

Testimony - Statewide Smoking Bans: A Research Perspective (2010 HB 2642)

0 | Feb. 11, 2010 | KHI Legislative Testimony, Tobacco

In testimony to the House Health and Human Services Committee, KHI summarizes the research about the impact of smoke-free policies.

When Health Insurance is Not Enough: Kansas and Underinsurance

0 | Feb. 10, 2010 | Health Insurance

A look at the factors associated with underinsurance and how certain insurance limitations impact Kansans.

Testimony - Use of the Kansas Birth Record Data for Monitoring the Health of Mothers and Infants (2010 SB 448)

0 | Feb. 09, 2010 | KHI Legislative Testimony

In testimony to the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, KHI discusses how birth record data can be used to monitor the health of mothers and infants in the state.

The Private Immunization Delivery System for Children in Kansas

0 | Dec. 23, 2009 | Immunizations

This update to a similar report from 2006 looks at the availability of private primary care clinics in Kansas that offer immunization services to children and identifies ways in which access to these services can be improved.

News

Kansas health reform supporter expects close vote

0 | Mar. 19, 2010 | Health Reform

The head of a statewide consumer coalition is expecting Sunday’s U.S. House vote on health reform legislation to be “razor thin.”

Committee hears cancer treatment parity bill

0 | Mar. 18, 2010 | Legislature, Health Care Delivery

Insurance lobbyists renewed their opposition Thursday to a bill that would require health insurers to cover oral chemotherapies the same way they do intravenous chemotherapies.

Menu labeling discussed

0 | Mar. 18, 2010 | Legislature, Nutrition

It's not clear what will happen to federal health reform legislation that would require chain restaurants to label menu items, but the Kansas Legislature won't take any action on the measure this year.

Compromise tax break bill on the move

0 | Mar. 18, 2010 | Legislature

A House-passed bill to expand a tax incentive for businesses that create or retain jobs in the state has been rewritten by a Senate committee to limit its cost and avoid a veto.

Tax proposals shot down by Senate panel

0 | Mar. 18, 2010 | Legislature

Plans to increase taxes on tobacco, alcohol, sugary drinks and general sales were each rejected by the Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee. Members even shot down a bill that would benefit retailers for fear it would be a vehicle for amendments on the Senate floor.

Advocates: Mental health system in crisis

0 | Mar. 18, 2010 | Advocacy, Legislature, Mental Health

About 300 people from across Kansas came to Topeka as part of Mental Health Advocacy Day.

Maneuvering on budget and taxes continues

0 | Mar. 18, 2010 | Legislature

House GOP leaders today released their plan for a balanced budget without tax increases, saying it would not require "draconian cuts." The plan relies heavily on reduced spending for highways and K-12 schools. It also counts on an influx of federal dollars for Medicaid that has not yet been finalized by Congress.

Changes sought in smoking ban law

0 | Mar. 17, 2010 | Legislature, Tobacco

A new proposal in the Kansas House would allow some bars to permit their customers to smoke indoors.

Committee shelves drug-testing bill

0 | Mar. 17, 2010 | SRS, Legislature

The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee voted Wednesday to table a House-passed bill that would have exposed welfare recipients to random drug testing.

Proposal for soda pop tax gets hearing

0 | Mar. 17, 2010 | Legislature, Nutrition

Busloads of beverage workers helped fill the hearing room and the hallways of the Statehouse.

Teens describe the foster care experience

0 | Mar. 09, 2010 | Children, SRS, Legislature

“My mother had a habit of leaving me – when I was 10 years old -- with my four brothers and sisters while my dad was in rehab for a week or two at a time,” Rachel Perkins, 19, said Monday during testimony before the House Federal and State Affairs Committee.

Advocates: Mental health system in crisis

0 | Mar. 18, 2010 | Advocacy, Legislature, Mental Health

About 300 people from across Kansas came to Topeka as part of Mental Health Advocacy Day.

KHPA board members blast proposed salary cuts

0 | Mar. 16, 2010 | KHPA, Legislature

To accommodate $800,000 in salary cuts, the agency would have to lay off 45 of its 190 Medicaid workers.

Provider-tax bills in the works

0 | Feb. 04, 2010 | Legislature, Medicaid-CHIP

Aim is to draw down more federal money.

Committee hears cancer treatment parity bill

0 | Mar. 18, 2010 | Legislature, Health Care Delivery

Insurance lobbyists renewed their opposition Thursday to a bill that would require health insurers to cover oral chemotherapies the same way they do intravenous chemotherapies.

Kansas Supreme Court to rule on malpractice case

1 | Mar. 02, 2010 | Health Care Delivery, Hospitals

Medical providers and others are anxiously waiting to see what the Kansas Supreme Court will do about the state's $250,000 cap on awards for pain and suffering in medical malpractice cases.

Seniors' mental health needs often unmet

1 | Feb. 16, 2010 | Community Health, Legislature, Workforce

“We’re not reaching the people we need to be reaching with our existing programs,” said Steve Denny, who runs an outreach program for seniors at the Independence-based Four County Mental Health Center.

State mental hospitals packed

1 | Feb. 04, 2010 | Legislature, Hospitals, Mental Health

Jails getting the overflow.

Push for tighter day care licensing questioned

1 | Feb. 02, 2010 | Child Health, Legislature

Legislators this week are holdings hearings on a proposal that would mean stricter standards for some home day care centers.

Mental health system close to collapse, center directors say

1 | Jan. 25, 2010 | SRS, Legislature, Mental Health

Last year, nine of the state’s 27 community mental health centers spent more money than they took in.

Governor calls for sales and tobacco tax increases

1 | Jan. 11, 2010 | Legislature

Gov. Mark Parkinson, a Democrat, unveiled key details of a budget plan that calls for raising the state sales tax one cent and boosting tobacco taxes to forestall deeper cuts to schools and to roll back cuts in Medicaid provider rates. But Republican leaders said it would be a bad idea to raise taxes during a recession.

No CHIP bonus for Kansas

1 | Dec. 21, 2009 | Medicaid-CHIP

Nine states have been awarded almost $73 million in federal bonus payments for enrolling more children in their state-run health insurance programs. But Kansas wasn't among them despite expectations by some.

Tax increase hardly a sure thing

1 | Dec. 21, 2009 | Legislature, Medicaid-CHIP, Tobacco

Gov. Mark Parkinson says he is ready to push for tax increases instead of continued budget cuts to core state services.

Cost containment key feature of reform bill, expert says

1 | Dec. 21, 2009 | Health Reform

There may be many legitimate criticisms of the health reform bill expected to win approval this week in the U.S. Senate. But one of the most often heard — that it does little or nothing to contain costs — is off the mark, according to a lawyer involved in the congressional negotiations.

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