1. providing and protecting affordable health insurance for all Kansans,
2. paying for prevention and a primary care medical home, and
3. promoting personal responsibility.

It is critically important that each of us support this opportunity to have substantive change which will actually benefit consumers.

Insureds feel insecure

Opinion polls show that even Kansans with insurance are concerned about their employer-sponsored health insurance. They feel insecure. The very real possibilities of larger co-pays, increased deductibles, and more limitations on benefits create added financial pressure as well as apprehension about future medical needs.

Insecurity becomes reality when a child "graduates" from a parent's health care plan, a person attempts to retire early, an employer increases employees' premium share, or death or divorce separate a person from a group plan.

Losing health insurance can happen to any of us. Right now there are 300,000 Kansans who are uninsured. Thousands more are under-insured, with many forced into medical debt and medical bankruptcy. Expensive medical and pharmaceutical treatments receive most of the health care dollar, with minimal investment in prevention and public health.

With the obvious need and the equally obvious failures of the current "solutions," it would seem the Health Policy Authority goals would be enthusiastically embraced and their accomplishment a certainty.

The influence of special interests

Standing in the way, however, are competing ideologies and interests which threaten affordable, comprehensive, and accessible health care for all Kansans. Promoters of laissez-faire markets will not support expansion of our state government to accomplish these goals. Others, however, believe government must now address the crisis because health care is a social good, not merely a market commodity.

Adding to the challenge is the power of special interest groups. Healthcare for all Kansans is not the foremost interest of insurance companies, some healthcare providers and their associations, or health insurance agents. The naturally have concerns for their direct economic interests and will most likely oppose solutions which are counter to those interests even if of benefit to consumers.

In this thicket of conflicting philosophies and vested economic self-interest, Kansas health consumers need to become engaged and expressive if meaningful health coverage expansion is to become reality. We need to listen and learn about terms such as health insurance connector, premium assistance for Medicaid families, and re-insurance. We need to reflect on our own health insurance situation, realizing that reforms may cost a little more for some of us but can give all of our families more security and better health care access in the future. Consumers need to insist that the Kansas pragmatic tradition of "getting it done for the common good" be practiced by the Authority, legislative leaders, and the Governor. We need to encourage and support those who are willing to work in a bipartisan spirit to achieve the worthy goal of all Kansans having health insurance. This can be accomplished when the effort is based on the evidence and data, rather than ideology and rhetoric.

Consumers must respond

Consumers will have to step up in this endeavor. There will be many trying to alarm the public during the coming months, and they will have big marketing budgets to spend. Their goals are not fully aligned with those of health coverage for all Kansans. Consumers will need to be skeptical of claims and sensitive to the self-interest and ideologies behind the information. Consumers wanting to participate and become more informed should contact the Kansas Health Consumer Coalition (KHCC) at www.kshealthconsumer.com and keep up-to-date on health reform progress through the website of the Kansas Health Policy Authority at www.khpa.ks.gov.

There is much to be done and much to overcome, but we have a great opportunity to realize comprehensive and affordable health insurance coverage for all Kansans. Active health care consumers can make the difference in securing a better health care environment for all Kansans.

Kim Moore
President
United Methodist Health Ministry Fund