Letter from the Newsroom: Health Insurance Edition
Welcome to State of the State KS,
The past weeks in the health care debate have seen the health insurance industry step away from the table in the national health care reform debate.
We sat down with Kansas Senator Jim Barnett (R), a candidate for the 1st Congressional District, who is also a doctor practicing internal medicine in Emporia. He explains what he believes should be chanced in the health care system. Watch here: http://stateofthestateks.com/2009/10/26/interview-with-ks-senator-jim-barnett-r/
Kansas Insurance Commissioner, Sandy Praeger, discusses the role of the Kansas Insurance Department and how she would like to see Kansas agencies continue to act as the advocate for Kansans in health insurance reform. Watch: http://stateofthestateks.com/2009/10/26/ks-insurance-commissioner-sandy-praeger/
Health insurance companies claim that without mandatory health insurance, they are being asked to bear the burden of covering more people without increasing the pool of insured. Mary Beth Chambers from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas explains their position. See: http://stateofthestateks.com/2009/10/26/blue-cross-blue-shield-of-kansas/
President Obama recently threatened to remove the health insurance industry’s antitrust exemption if they did not cooperate with health care reform. We spoke with Amy Westbrook, Co-Director of Washburn School of Law’s Business and Transactional Law Center to find out why insurance had a federal exemption and the impact if it was removed. See here: http://stateofthestateks.com/2009/10/26/the-antitrust-issue-professor-amy-westbrook/
Kansas University Medical School’s Dr. Paul Uhlig gives an explanation of why the medical system is based on a 100 year-old model and what he believes is a more compressive approach that focuses on the human aspect of medicine and less on “going to war” on disease. Watch here: http://stateofthestateks.com/2009/10/26/dr-paul-uhlig/
Pamela O’Neal, a guest columnist for State of the State KS, writes about the rising cost of childhood obesity in Kansas. Read it here: http://stateofthestateks.com/2009/10/26/childhood-obesity-a-kansas-epidemic/
Finally, small businesses have struggled to cover the rising costs of health insurance for employees. They are worried they may face a penalty for failure to cover employees under health care reform. Tim Witsman, Wichita Independent Business Association, and small business owner Susayn Brandes, talk to us about the difficulties they face covering employees who are often more like family. Watch: http://stateofthestateks.com/2009/10/26/small-businesses-struggle-with-health-insurance/
We have activated our comments so feel free to add your thoughts.
Enjoy the edition on health insurance in Kansas,
Rebecca Zepick
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