KHPA conference on health care Aug. 2

The rising costs of health care and medical insurance are a major concern across Kansas and the nation.

Area business owners who want more information on health care and health insurance costs, the cost of other types of medical debt, and the availability of health care in Kansas other states will have that opportunity during a Kansas Health Policy Authority-sponsored conference scheduled for 9 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 2 at Mercy Health Center, 401 Woodland Hills Blvd.

The organization's eight-day, 20-city Kansas tour, which began Wednesday in Overland Park, will take place at various venues across the state, including a stop in Fort Scott next month.

The Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce is hosting the conference because chamber officials specifically asked to address local business owners and leaders who deal with health care costs at their companies or businesses, FSACC President and Chief Executive Officer Gary Emry said.

"Rising health care costs are a primary concern for most businesses in this region," Emry said. "Any time I speak with business leaders and ask what their top concerns are, health care is right at the top."

Many Kansas residents are burdened by rising health care costs, increasingly more expensive insurance, and growing medical debt, yet Kansas ranks near the middle or slightly above the middle for most measures of health care access and quality when compared to other states, a KHPA statement said. This is the main reason KHPA is conducting a tour across Kansas to seek input from Kansas residents on these topics , the statement said.

"Input from Kansans is critical to any health reform efforts," KHPA Executive Director Marci Nielsen said. "As we develop health reform options over the next several months, we need to listen to the concerns and suggestions of consumers, businesses, and providers all across the state. We want to know what aspects of our current health system are working, and then strengthen and build on them. But we also want to know the difficulties that Kansans have in seeking access to affordable health care and what the Authority can do to help them."

KHPA and its board will tour the state throughout July and August to visit with Kansas residents about the provision and protection of affordable health insurance, as well as the prevention of illness before it starts. KHPA also plans to address the issue of how Kansas residents take personal responsibility for their health as individuals and communities, the KHPA statement said.

KHPA officials will meet for roundtable discussions with representatives of many organizations and populations across the state, including Farm Bureau organizations, Chambers of Commerce, hospital administrators, insurers, health care providers, consumers, members of religious organizations, and many others.

Mercy Health Center was chosen as the site for the conference because of its location in Fort Scott, which is familiar to many Fort Scott residents, and because it is a central location for presenters, Emry said.

Emry said he is pleased that a Kansas agency is examining the health care issue and trying to find answers for the public.

"It is encouraging that this group will be taking a look a peripheral influences that help drive up health care costs, such as personal responsibility," he said. "I believe there are some common sense options that can be encouraged to help drive costs downward rather than focusing solely on industry cost influences. I'm excited that the governor has challenged this group to engage the citizens of Kansas to help provide answers."

Presenters and audience members at the conference will be welcomed by Mercy Health Center Chief Operations Officer Reta Baker, FSACC Government and Community Quality Division Chairwoman Carla Bryant Farmer, and FSACC Board Chairman Bob Marshall.

This particular conference is open only to local business owners; the specific group that KHPA representatives wanted to target for their visit, Emry said. However, local residents can send comments, suggestions and personal stories related to the health care system in Kansas to KHPA officials on the organization's Web site, http://www.khpa.ks.gov. KHPA will then use that feedback to discuss options the state has for health care reform before submitting them to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

"At the end of the tour, the authority board will use the input they gain to develop common sense health reform options that are responsive to the needs of Kansans, with a focus on increasing access to health care services, improving prevention to drive down health care costs, and promoting personal responsibility," Nielsen said.

Emry said local business owners should attend the conference to learn more about health care options they have at their disposal.

"Health care costs are important to the bottom line," he said. "Some businesses participate in the costs minimally; most can't afford it at all, especially small businesses. This forum will give them a platform to express their challenges to a responsible authority who will present their findings to the governor."

Suggestions from Kansas residents will be accepted through Dec. 31, 2007, and then shared with the KHPA board. On Nov. 1, the KHPA board will present these health reform options to Sebelius and the Kansas Legislature, based on input from Kansas residents, to consider during the 2008 legislative session, the KHPA statement said.

Other towns in Southeast Kansas on the KHPA tour include Pittsburg and Parsons. For a complete listing of all locations and meetings on the tour, visit www.khpa.ks.gov on the Internet.