ST. MARYS, Kan. (AP) — The Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman who it says led officers on a slow-speed chase and ran into a police car.
Deputies say the chase began Sunday night after authorities received a call about an unwanted person at a home in Emmett. They say the 43-year-old woman from Topeka left in a van and wouldn’t pull over for authorities. Deputies say she was driving slowly.
The chase ended in St. Marys after city police officers used spike strips on the van. Officers say the woman hit a patrol car directing that was traffic before coming to a stop.
No injuries were reported.
The woman faces charges of criminal damage to property, fleeing and eluding, DUI and transporting an open container.
Rosemary Maxwell spoke at last week’s meeting in Overland Park. Her 31-year-old daughter, Tiffany, has cerebral palsy. Credit Dave Ranney / KH
By Dave Ranney
KHI News Service
Parents of adult children with developmental disabilities say state officials are breaking a pledge made during negotiations last year that led legislators to include Medicaid-funded home- and community-based services for the developmentally disabled in the state’s KanCare program.
“I have one thing I want to say to the (Kansas) Department for Aging and Disability Services: ‘Liar, liar, pants on fire,’” said Susan Jarsulic, whose 35-year-old daughter, Jayne, has severe physical and developmental disabilities.
Jarsulic and others are upset over reports that a “health home” initiative recently announced by KDADS includes language that encourages – but stops short of requiring – KanCare companies to let developmentally disabled Kansans keep their current case managers if they so choose.
During several hearings last year, state officials promised families that if KanCare were to take over management of services for the developmentally disabled, beneficiaries’ families would be allowed to keep their case managers, who would help them navigate the new system. Legislators, in turn, agreed to the so-called KanCare “carve in.”
Case managers play a key role in assessing beneficiaries’ needs, determining which services they need to continue living in community-based settings, arranging for those services and making sure they’re provided.
“My daughter’s case manager has been with her for 18 years now,” Jarsulic said. “She’s wonderful. She knows Jayne, she knows the system and she really knows how to get things done.”
Under the KDADS health home initiative, KanCare health care providers – a group that includes physicians, safety-net clinics, mental health centers and home health agencies – are eligible for additional funding for integrating primary and behavioral health care with services designed to help people live in community-based settings rather than institutional care. A health home is not a place but a concept of care delivery built on close coordination among a patient’s medical providers so that health crises can be prevented or reduced.
The plan, Jarsulic said, included language that encouraged but did not require health home providers to allow beneficiaries to keep their case managers.
The change created a loophole that could lead to some families losing their case managers, she said, undercutting their abilities to advocate for their loved ones.
“Let’s be honest about this,” Jarsulic said. “This is just a back-door way of getting rid of the case managers that we’ve come to know and trust, and letting the managed care companies do whatever they want to do.”
Jarsulic, who lives in Shawnee and runs a Lenexa-based activity program for 10 severely disabled adults, is active in Provider Advocate Coalition of Kansas (PACK), a group that organized a town hall-style meeting here last week that included nearly 200 parents, case workers, service providers, and KDADS Secretary Kari Bruffett.
Nearly 200 parents, case workers, service providers and state officials attended a town hall meeting last week at Overland Park Christian Church, where a new health home initiative for developmentally disabled Kansans was discussed. Credit Dave Ranney / KHI News Service
Bruffett assured the audience that KDADS is in full support of families keeping their case managers.
The decision to encourage rather than require the arrangement, she said, was driven in large part by federal policies that consider case management to be a service that a health home would provide.
“CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) does not allow us to bill for both kinds of services,” Bruffett said, adding that the two services – health home coordination and case management – are considered duplicative.
But there is nothing to stop a health home provider from subcontracting with a beneficiary’s case manager on its own, she said.
And, Bruffett said, anyone who’s assigned to a KanCare health home that doesn’t allow them to keep their case manager can switch to a health home that does or opt out of health homes altogether.
“You don’t have to be in a health home,” Bruffett said. “We’d like you to be in one, but you don’t have to be in one.”
Those who opt out of their health homes, she said, will be allowed to keep their case managers.
It’s not yet known how many providers of health homes intend to contract with enrollees’ case managers.
Marilyn Kubler, a PACK facilitator, said the group is not yet aware of any families losing their case managers.
“We’ll know more in November, which is when the health homes (for the mentally ill) really get started,” she said. “But right now, no, we’re not aware of anybody being told they don’t get to keep their case managers. Our fear is that this is something that could happen, which is why we’re speaking up.”
KDADS launched its health home initiative in late July, limiting enrollment to KanCare beneficiaries who have a serious and persistent mental illness (SPMI).
Bruffett said department officials hope to have health homes for beneficiaries with chronic illnesses – diabetes and asthma, primarily – up and running in January.
According to KDADS records, letters were mailed to 25,770 SPMI beneficiaries across the state, informing them that they had been assigned to a health home provider in their area.
Almost 1,800 of these letters went to beneficiaries who were thought to be developmentally disabled and mentally ill.
Several parents in the audience said they resented KDADS assuming that their developmentally disabled sons and daughters were mentally ill.
Rosemary Maxwell, whose 31-year-old daughter, Tiffany, has cerebral palsy, was among those who were upset.
“Are you kidding me?” Maxwell said. “Anyone who knows Tiffany knows that she is not mentally ill.”
Maxwell said that when she called KDADS to find out why her daughter had been assigned to a health home, she was told that Tiffany had been diagnosed with depression.
“That did not happen,” she said. “Tiffany has never been diagnosed with depression. Somebody made that assumption because she takes Wellbutrin for neuropathic pain and Valium for spasticity.”
Maxwell said Tiffany opted out of her health home assignment because she isn’t mentally ill, her health care already is well-coordinated and she didn’t want to risk losing her case manager.
Other parents complained about not being involved in the process. As a result, they said, they weren’t anticipating the health home assignments.
“There’s no trust,” said Patty Hink, whose 37-year-old son is autistic. “There was before KanCare, but there isn’t anymore.”
Angela de Rocha, director of communication at KDADS, said the agency was committed to finding ways to “communicate better” and restoring the families’ confidence in the system.
“There needs to be more trust, and that goes both ways,” de Rocha said. “We need to trust them and they need to trust us, because everyone’s intentions are good. Everyone’s trying to make things better.”
Dave Ranney is a reporter for Heartland Health Monitor, a news collaboration focusing on health issues and their impact in Missouri and Kansas.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas farmers are running a bit behind normal in planting next year’s winter wheat crop.
Monday’s weekly update from the National Agricultural Statistics Service showed 78 percent of the winter wheat now seeded in Kansas. That is below the five-year average of 84 percent by mid-October.
About 58 percent of the wheat crop has emerged.
Meanwhile, harvest continues for other farm crops. About 66 percent of the corn in Kansas has now been cut. Sorghum harvest is at 25 percent, while the soybean harvest is 31 percent complete. About 12 percent of the state’s sunflowers have also been cut.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs were such a mess in their season opener against the Tennessee Titans that they were quickly written off, their dramatic turnaround last season considered a fluke.
Turns out that conclusion was premature.
After steadily improving over the first few weeks of the season, the Chiefs earned a marquee victory Sunday when they rallied for a 23-20 victory in San Diego — not only knocking off one of the NFL’s hottest teams but taking a big step toward the top of the division.
Sure, the Denver Broncos remain the team to beat in the AFC West, and the Chiefs are still looking up the standings at the Chargers. But there is suddenly a feeling that the Chiefs can make some noise in the wild-card race, if not for the division title.
“I think overall the whole picture is good,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Monday. “Yeah, it came down to the last drive, but there were a lot of people on both sides of the ball and special teams that put you in a position to be able to do that.”
The Chiefs had chances to steal wins in Denver and San Francisco, but struggled in crunch time. They had no such trouble against the Chargers, marching 62 yards in nine plays in the waning minutes to set up a 48-yard, go-ahead field goal by rookie Cairo Santos.
The kick was a little bit wobbly. It looked a little bit funky. But it just managed to skirt inside the upright, helping to end the Chargers’ five-game winning streak.
“I have 100 percent confidence in Santos,” Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said. “He has shown he can do it. In practice he barely misses. It’s about confidence.”
Santos might be indicative of the Chiefs’ growing confidence.
After wrestling the job away from veteran Ryan Succop in training camp, Santos promptly missed field goals in each of his first two games. He hasn’t missed since, including all three attempts against San Diego.
“That’s the game of football,” quarterback Alex Smith said. “You have to trust the guy next to you. We talk about it all the time — offensively, defensively, the guy next to you in the huddle — you have to trust all those guys to do their job. And you have to trust that you’re going to do yours. It’s no different with Cairo. The guy went out there and hit a great kick and had a great kickoff right after, so I’m happy for him.”
Now, a resilient bunch of Chiefs that withstood a series of devastating injuries during the first couple weeks of the season has a relatively weak schedule ahead.
First up Sunday is a visit from St. Louis, coming off an emotional high from its victory over Seattle. Then comes a home game against the New York Jets, a team that has lost six straight games.
“The great part about this is there were a lot of people we could stand up here and mention. The great part about this is we still have a ton of room to improve,” Reid said. “We’ve got a heck of a football team coming in here this week. Jeff (Coach Fisher) has done a nice job with the Rams. They are playing at a very high level, they’re fast, they’re aggressive. We’ve got to make sure that we get ourselves ready.”
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Republican Gov. Sam Brownback has vowed during a debate to defend Kansas’ ban on same-sex marriage.
His Democratic challenger, Paul Davis, said Monday that he voted against the ban as a legislator because it would give the state an unwelcoming image. But he also said he respects the decision of voters to approve the prohibition. Davis added that the matter is now in the courts and there is nothing either candidate can do to impact its outcome.
The televised debate at KWCH studios in Wichita was the candidates’ third. Their final debate is Tuesday before the Kansas Association of Broadcasters meeting.
The back-to-back appearances come amid recent independent polling showing the governor’s race has tightened as outside money from has flooded into the state with negative ads.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney plans to campaign for Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts in suburban Kansas City next week, the latest national figure working to save the embattled three-term incumbent.
Romney is to headline a rally with Roberts next Monday at the Prairie Fire shopping and residential complex in Overland Park.
In a statement, Romney calls Roberts “a conservative champion for Kansas.” The former Massachusetts governor has also endorsed Senate nominees in battlegrounds such as Colorado, Iowa and Louisiana.
Romney in recent weeks has stepped back into the limelight, acting as a national GOP leader in a party searching for one.
Roberts is facing independent candidate Greg Orman, an Olathe businessman, in what has become a surprisingly competitive race in GOP-heavy Kansas.
Congressman Huelskamp visits Schwan’s Global Supply Chain in Salina.
SALINA, KS. – Today, Congressman Tim Huelskamp (KS-01) made multiple stops in Salina including Philips Lighting, Eaglecrest Retirement Community, the Salina Regional Airport and Schwan’s.
“Today, I had the opportunity to tour a world-class manufacturing facility right here in Salina. Philips is at the forefront of consumer innovation, and I am proud to have them in the Big First.
During my visit to Eaglecrest I talked with residents, including my former colleague Senator Ben Vidricksen, and learned about their Veterans Wall. While there I was presented with a Salina Bomber football that I will proudly display in my office.
I stopped by the Salina Regional Airport and met with Executive Director Tim Rogers. We toured their Control Tower, discussed the current status of the federal Contract Tower Program, and highlighted the great success and customer service of Seaport Airlines. I also was briefed about the upcoming “Jaded
(L-R) Tim Rogers, Executive Director, Salina Airport Authority Great Bend Municipal Airport manager, Martin Miller Jeff Maes, Chairman of the Salina Airport Authority board of directors.
Thunder” training exercise. Jaded Thunder is a joint military exercise that involves approximately 1,000 personnel from the Air Force, Navy and Army units, as well as representatives of the U.S. Special Operations Command that will take place later this month.
Lastly, I was able to visit the Schwan’s global supply chain location in Salina. I learned about how they meet logistical and consumer needs using industry best practices – and by doing this, provide hundreds of jobs in the local community.”
“We appreciate having our elected officials visit our plant to see what we do and how actions by Congress and regulatory agencies can impact our business,” said Schwan’s Sr. Director of Government Affairs Alan Poff.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans may be close to winning control of Congress and more votes to repeal “Obamacare,” but GOP governors don’t see the president’s health care law going away.
Nine Republican governors have accepted the law’s Medicaid coverage expansion for low-income people, despite their own misgivings about big government and strong opposition from state legislators of their own party. Three more governors are negotiating expansions of the program with the Democratic administration in Washington.
The governors’ approach is in sharp contrast to the anti-Obamacare fervor of their party in Congress.
Ohio Gov. John Kasich doesn’t think the Affordable Care Act will be repealed even if Republicans win a Senate majority in next month’s elections. He tells The Associated Press, “That’s not gonna happen.”
MOLINE, Kan. (AP) — The Oklahoma Air National Guard says two of its fighter jets collided over southeast Kansas during a training exercise, with one ejecting from one of the aircraft.
The Oklahoma Guard’s Col. Max Moss said neither pilot was seriously injured in the midair collision Monday afternoon.
Moss said one of the F-16’s returned safely to its base in Tulsa. The second crashed and burned in a field in Kansas.
Moss said the pilot of the crashed plane was taken to McConnell Air Force Base hospital in Wichita for evaluation, but is not believed to be seriously injured.
He said the collision occurred during a training exercise northeast of the Elk County town of Moline.
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A northeast Kansas teenager will spend five years and four months in a juvenile facility for killing his father during a custody exchange.
The Kansas City Star reports the Bonner Springs youth was sentenced in Johnson County on Monday, which was his 16th birthday. He pleaded guilty earlier to second-degree murder.
The fatal shooting occurred in July 2013 outside a Shawnee business where the boy’s mother and stepfather had arranged to turn him over to his 46-year-old father. The mother and stepfather were inside when the teen walked to his father’s car and fired several times with a handgun.
The teen told police and mental health professionals that he had suffered years of emotional, physical and sexual abuse by his father. He was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
NEW YORK (AP) — Trisha Yearwood and Carlos Santana are among the musicians set to perform the national anthem during the World Series.
Major League Baseball says Yearwood will sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Game 1 on Tuesday when the San Francisco Giants play the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
Santana will perform an instrumental rendition of the national anthem with his son before Game 4 on Saturday at the AT&T Park in San Francisco.
Country quartet Little Big Town will sing before Game 2 on Wednesday. Former “American Idol” winner Phillip Phillips will sing before Game 3 on Friday.
The games will air on Fox at 8 p.m. Eastern time (channel 5 or 605) on Eagle Television.
ST. MARYS, Kan. (AP) — The Pottawatomie County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a woman who it says led officers on a slow-speed chase and ran into a police car.
