Describes the system as sound but needing updates
TOPEKA – Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) Acting Secretary Lee A. Norman, M.D. testified during Friday’s Bethel Oversight Committee hearing on Kansas’s Medicaid program, Kancare. He stated that while the program should continue with improvements in several areas, the program itself is on the right track and valuable for Kansans.
“I liken the base of KanCare to the chassis of an automobile,” said Acting Secretary Norman. “If the car does not have a strong, well-built chassis, then it doesn’t matter how great the tires are that you put on it. The solid chassis for KanCare involves an updated IT system as well as the personnel to handle the amount of cases that come in, among other things,” said Norman.
“During my tenure as chief medical officer for the University of Kansas Health System I had great deal of experience working on KanCare issues. I saw firsthand that it is a system that is beneficial to Kansans. Like any large endeavor it has had its growing pains, but we have seen great improvements and we will continue to hone those areas to make sure it is effective for all KanCare members.”
Areas discussed by Dr. Norman and KDHE staff at the hearing included the transition to a new managed care organization (MCO), Aetna, improvements to the eligibility system and financial updates for the program.
KDHE, the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) and the three MCOs for KanCare all provided testimony to the Bethel oversight committee which meets quarterly.