Three-agency merger proposed

TOPEKA — A lobbyist for the state’s community mental health centers asked a legislative panel Tuesday to weigh the benefits of combining the Kansas Health Policy Authority with the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services.

"Is there money to be saved by there being one agency instead of two?" asked Mike Hammond, executive director at the Association for Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas. "If we pieced SRS back together, would we save money?"

Hammond was addressing an afternoon roundtable discussion held by the House Social Services Budget Committee.

"I’m not saying the savings are there," he said, "but with there being so much talk about saving money through consolidation, it’s something that ought to be explored."

Hammond’s proposal also called for folding the Kansas Department on Aging into SRS.

The committee’s chairwoman, Rep. Peggy Mast, R-Emporia, said she thought the idea was worth considering.

"A lot of questions have been raised about some of the things the health policy authority has done in recent years," Mast told KHI News Service. "And the thing we hear all the time is how people want to shrink the size of government without cutting programs, so it may be worth looking into. At this point, everything is on the table."

Mast said she was surprised that Hammond included the Department on Aging in his proposal.

"I’ve heard complaints about the health policy authority," she said. "I’ve not heard anyone complain about the Department on Aging."

Hammond said he wasn’t being critical of either KDoA or the health policy authority.

After the 90-minute discussion, SRS Secretary Don Jordan declined comment as did KDoA spokeswoman Barb Conant and health policy authority spokesman Peter Hancock.

"I’m sorry but without more specific information, we’re really not in a position to comment at this time," Hancock said.

More than a dozen lobbyists, advocates and program directors presented proposals for either cutting costs or increasing efficiency. Included among their suggestions:

Improving the state’s child support enforcement efforts.

"Kansas ranks 38th out of the 50 states in terms of per capita child support collections," said Paul Johnson, a lobbyist with the Kansas Catholic Conference. "We should be collecting about $16 million a month, we’re collecting $10 million."
Doing more to encourage low-income families to apply for food stamps.
Exploring the possibility of safety net clinics, public health departments, mental health centers, and hospitals providing services in a single location instead of each maintaining separate facilities.
Encouraging nursing homes to provide more home and community based services for the physically disabled as well as for the frail elderly.

"There are counties in Kansas don’t have a hospital and don’t have a safety-net clinic, but there’s a nursing facility in every county," said Cindy Luxem, executive director of the Kansas Health Care Association, which represents many of the state’s for-profit nursing homes.
Creating a single waiting list for community based services for the frail elderly and people with physical and developmental disabilities.
Making it easier and less expensive for residential programs to comply with licensing standards, especially those enforced by the state fire marshal.
Closing the state’s two hospitals for the developmentally disabled and using the savings to underwrite services in community settings.
Rescinding the recent 10 percent cut in Medicaid payments.

Mast said the proposals were "very inspiring," and some would likely be the subject of future hearings in her committee. Others might be referred to other committees, she said.

Three-agency merger proposed

Roundtable talk sparks consolidation question