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This is an exciting opportunity for you to learn about health care and how other Kansans feel about health reform issues!
Health care reform is a key element of the change that voters demand. Consistently over the past year and a half, voters have expressed concern over rising costs and limited access and expressed an appetite for a larger government role. Click here to read more.
The following is a column by Governor Kathleen Sebelius:
Last month, we received some discouraging but not surprising news about health care coverage in our state. There are now more Kansans without health insurance than at any other time this decade. Nearly 340,000 Kansans do not have health insurance, including 58,000 children. This is the third year in a row that our uninsured numbers have increased.
The Legislature formed the Kansas Health Policy Authority and asked for a plan for comprehensive health care reform. Last year they received that plan, which included input from Kansas employers, families and health care providers, and would have insured far more Kansans. Not only would more Kansans have access to basic health coverage, but the plan included a number of proposals to lower costs for those Kansans with health insurance.
I endorsed the plan; as did many Republicans and Democrats, and those legislators deserve our respect and gratitude. But the leadership and the majority failed to move forward, so we made no progress. Costs continue to rise and more Kansas employers and families are dropping coverage.
We cannot wait any longer. The 2009 Legislature must get to work on health care reform. There is no more time to waste. All Kansans deserve access to quality health care, and they’re counting on the Legislature. The time for real leadership and action on health care is now.
On Friday, June 6, non profit professionals, journalists, health advocates and elected leaders had the opportunity to listen to staff from Viewpoint Learning as they discussed the outcomes of three day long Choice Dialogues that were facilitated in conjunction with the Kansas Health Consumer Coalition who partnered with the Kansas Health Institute. Viewpoint Learning told the roomful of professionals that the outcomes of the dialogues were surprising and often emotional. They added that at least one participant had said he was “stunned” that such an opportunity had been extended. Indeed, Kansans were ready to discuss health care in Kansas. Read more...
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