In an effort to curb one of the fastest growing state costs, Governor Sam Brownback revealed a plan to integrate health services for Kansans receiving Medicaid benefits that could save $853 million over the next five years on Tuesday.
The plan, called KanCare, will reshuffle and integrate services at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS), and Aging and Human Services beginning in January 2013. (SRS would take on a new name – Children and Family Services.)
Critics challenged the lack of specificity of the plan, which is sure to have more detail as the executive orders that do the primary work of creating it are signed and the program’s start date draws nearer.
Medicaid is $2.8 billion of Kansas’ annual budget and has grown 7.4 percent annually over the past decade. There are 350,000 elderly and disabled Kansans currently on the program.
Video here:
Education plan coming next month
The governor’s other major reform plan (outside of taxes), will increase local control over education costs and yet still meet the constitutional mandates of equality and full funding, according to administration policy director Landon Fulmer.
But, “many state board [of education] members said it is difficult to judge how this plan will affect their districts without the specific numbers,” which are expected for the next Board of Education meeting in December.
Video from Kansas First News:
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