Tri-Valley chief seeking support; Resolution presented to Bourbon County commissioners would encourage governor to 'carefully consider' changes to Medicaid

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Tri-Valley Developmental Services Executive Director Tim Cunningham is seeking the support of Bourbon County Commissioners in the state's Medicaid managed care debate.

Cunningham recently asked commissioners to sign a resolution to encourage Gov. Sam Brownback to, "carefully consider any change in the Medicaid or health care provisions for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities" as affected by his KanCare plan and to "remove long-term care services from said persons from the purposed managed care plan."

"Basically what we're asking is for you to sign this resolution to send to the governor asking him to carve us out," Cunningham said of Tri-Valley, a Southeast Kansas provider serving people with developmental disabilities in Allen, Bourbon, Neosho and Woodson counties.

KanCare is a system focused on improving health outcomes for Kansans that will reportedly save $853 million over the next five years. The state accepted proposals from five companies bidding for the three contracts that will control the state's $2.9 billion Medicaid system. Three of the companies are outside of Kansas.

Rep. Caryn Tyson, R-Parker, expressed concern in her May 4 column in the Tribune about the "uncertainty of such a drastic change and how individuals and providers will be impacted."

In response, Tyson said that the administration has stated that "KanCare will focus on maintaining current providers and minimizing transition difficulties."

Not convinced of the savings and improvements to service for Kansans who are poor, needy, or disabled, Cunningham said KanCare does little more than add another layer of bureaucracy to the system. The overhaul to the Medicaid system, he said, would be the biggest change since the implementation of the program in the 1960s.

"The state's claims are absolutely silly," Cunningham said. "If we are included in managed care you are going to see a decrease in services because they are going to decrease our reimbursement rate ... It puts us back about 30 years."

Only four states in the country have care for developmentally disabled people included in their managed care systems, Cunningham said.

Slated to take effect in January 2013, Brownback last week extended the exclusion of long-term care providers from KanCare until 2014. But Cunningham said he wants it to be permanently excluded.

As of Tuesday afternoon, 53 counties, including Allen and Woodson, had signed the resolution to send to the governor and area legislators, Cunningham said.

County Commissioners on April 30 requested more time to look over the resolution and consider Cunningham's proposal.

County Clerk Joanne Long said while commissioners have yet to make a decision about the resolution, she said she agreed to bring it up during the county commission meeting at 9 a.m. Friday.