Monday Morning Update!

February 24, 2014

Your Monday Morning Update:

Tomorrow is my birthday, and it feels so strange because it seems like just last year I turned 30 (I’m a far cry from 30). As I age, I find myself thinking quite a bit about the past, but I think a lot more about the future. One thing I’ve come to realize during my musings is that the pendulum swings back and forth when it comes to disability issues. Things such as: how to provide services, where to provide services, what things are called, teaching techniques, etc. What was done years ago becomes passé, forgotten, and then a few years later it returns with another name with a tad bit of a twist.

One thing that hasn’t changed is that parents of children with disabilities have remained ferocious advocates for their loved ones. While my mom along with many other parents, solicited school districts to include classes for special needs children in public schools, parents now advocate for keeping case managers, obtaining and maintaining quality services, or acquire opportunities for increased independence.

With the intense advocacy for the exclusion of services in KanCare, still fresh in my mind, I thought I’d share some information from a few parents who are on “KanCare Watch”.

Some parents/guardians in Sedgwick County are hoping to initiate a statewide communication tool now that KanCare has been extended to long-term I/DD services.  Their goal is to create a website where parents/guardians can record their experiences with KanCare.  These parents are seeking the support of I/DD parents/guardians and other advocates in two ways:

1) Volunteers who would be willing to serve on a statewide steering committee for the website.  They would like 6-8 parents representing all geographic areas of the state. 

2) Donors who could help raise the estimated one-time cost of $1,500 for design and hosting of the website for one year.  They have an I/DD parent in Wichita in the web design business who is willing to donate some in-kind services to this project.

If you are interested, contact Marla Flentje at [email protected] or on her cell phone at 316-250-1344.

Now, in the world of the Kansas legislature, last week the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, and the House Health and Human Services Committee, heard twin “Prompt Payment” bills. These would require Managed Care Organizations to assure prompt payment for clean claims within 30 days and payment (or denial) of non-clean claims within 90 days to KanCare vendors. If they don’t pay in a timely manner, they will pay interest upon those delays.

Many small providers require immediate payment for services rendered if they are to remain in business. This bill somewhat addresses that.  Our statewide advocacy agency InterHab, made some additional recommendations which would strengthen the bills.

And…at the local front, I/DD service providers are still learning the ropes of KanCare regarding billing, who to talk to about what, working with care coordinators, and how to define “service”.  Slowly but surely, we are making some progress.

And speaking of progress, a birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun. I need to let you know that I so enjoy taking that trip with you!

Warm regards,

Lurena Mead

Community Relations Manager

Johnson County Developmental Supports

10501 Lackman Rd. Lenexa, Kansas 66219

Direct (913) 826-2212  Office (913) 826-2626

www.jocogov.org | @jocogov | F/jocogov