22 February 2005

Gov. Sebelius focuses on health care during stops in Wichita

WICHITA, Kan. – Health care was the topic of the day as Governor Kathleen Sebelius made three stops in Wichita this afternoon. During her first stop, she toured the Center for Health and Wellness, speaking with health professionals and the media following the tour.

The Center for Health and Wellness provides primary healthcare, prevention and outreach services to Northeast Wichita. Making these services available helps reduce health costs, the Governor said.

“Preventative medicine saves money in the long run for patients and for society. You can head off a serious illness through regular checkups and by seeing a doctor at the first sign of a health problem. It’s hard to get preventative care, however, when you don’t have health insurance. That’s why we must expand access to health care for the one in ten Kansans who don’t have insurance,” Governor Sebelius said.

Of the 35,000 patients seen by the Center for Health and Wellness so far, 42 percent have no health insurance. In Sedgwick County overall, one in nine residents has no health insurance.

Governor Sebelius has teamed up with Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger on the HealthyKansas initiative, which seeks to reduce costs and expand access to quality care for children, low-income parents and small businesses.

“There are 40,000 Kansas kids from working families who are eligible for health insurance from the state, but currently aren’t enrolled. Many of those kids are here in Wichita. We’ve got to reach out and help these children get the health care they need for a good start in life,” Sebelius said.

One plank in the health care effort is the Governor’s proposal to streamline the state’s health care operations, such as Medicaid. These reforms would pool the state’s purchasing power in order to negotiate better deals. That proposal – contained in what is known as an Executive Reorganization Order – is in danger of being blocked by the Legislature.

“We hear a lot of talk from the Legislature about streamlining government, so I’m puzzled at the opposition some legislators are putting up. Frankly, the people of Kansas are tired of politics trumping good ideas, particularly when it comes to solving the quiet crisis we face in health care. I hope Kansans will let their legislators know they want solutions, not political games,” Sebelius said.

The Governor is taking part in the ribbon-cutting of A New Beginning’s 21st Street facility this afternoon, before addressing the Sedgwick County Medical Society this evening.