By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

“Expanding KanCare is a really critical issue across Kansas,” according to David Jordan, executive director, Alliance for a Healthy Kansas.

Thursday, Sept. 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the Hays Sternberg Museum, 3000 Sternberg Drive, members of the community will have the opportunity to gather together in open discussion of the benefits of expanding the system to cover the medical coverage gap that currently affects 150,000 Kansans.

“So you have these 150,000 Kansas who are hard working friends, family and neighbors that are in this coverage gap,” Jordan said. That gap includes people who do not qualify for financial assistance on the healthcare marketplace and earn too much to qualify for KanCare.

As an example, Jordan said a single mother who earns $6,600 a year makes too much money qualify for the KanCare program.

The state has forfeited $1.4 billion since 2014 by not accepting federal funding as a part of the Affordable Care Act, according to Jordan, money that would not only benefit those in need of medical care but would also be an economic motivator.

“Just next door to you guys in Russell, taxpayers are paying twice for care,” he said. “They are paying their federal taxes and, since we’re not expanding KanCare, we are not getting that money back, so the hospital is providing a lot of charity care. They can’t afford to do that, so they have to tax people locally in Russell to keep their hospital open.”

He estimates every day KanCare is not expanded Kansas taxpayers lose $1.9 million in federal funding.

“That’s our tax dollars,” Jordan said.

Legislative inaction is now spurring the group to host conversations directly with the public in a hope to encourage citizens to approach their legislators.

“Since we haven’t been able to have a discussion about why it’s important to expand KanCare in Topeka in the last year, we have launched a series of community events across the state to be talking about this and to help people to understand how important it is to expand Kan Care,” Jordan said. “The goal is to have a community conversation with folks who attend to talk about how this impacts them, how it impacts the people they work with every day and really have a discussion how it impacts people in Hays and Ellis County.”

Jordan said roughly 1,025 people in Ellis County would gain health coverage with the expansion of KanCare.

“So we want to make sure people are saying these are our friends, these are our neighbors that would get coverage,” he said.

An expansion would also create jobs, according to Jordan, 27 on the low end in Ellis County and over 3,800 statewide.

Around $4.3 million dollars in health care spending would also be brought into the county.

In general, the argument for the expansion is not well understood, he said, prompting even more need for the conversations to take place.

“I think it’s just a matter of an ideological divide, not wanting to be part of Obamacare. The truth is this isn’t Obamacare, it’s KanCare, the Kansas-specific solution,” Jordan said. “I think there is a lot of misunderstanding around ideology and that is part of the reason why we are doing this event.”

Among the members and supporters of the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas expected to attend Thursday’s meeting are:

• John H. Jeter, MD, President & Chief Executive Officer, Hays Medical Center
• Bryan Brady, CEO, First Care Clinics, Inc. in Hays and Victoria
• Sheldon Weisgrau, Health Reform Resource Project
• David Jordan, Executive Director, Alliance for a Healthy Kansas

KDC

GREAT BEND–Employers and job seekers who are looking for an opportunity to meet with the employee or start the career they have always wanted or needed will be intrigued by KANSASWORKS upcoming job fair.

The Kansas Department of Commerce will host the 2016 KANSASWORKS Statewide Job Fair on Tue., Sept. 27, 2016. The annual job fair will take place at locations across the state of Kansas. It will provide Kansas employers, veterans and job seekers with the unique opportunity to meet face-to-face. This aids in the ability for employer and employee to make a genuine connection.

This is also an opportunity for veterans of any status to meet with a variety of employers in an array of industries and fields. Veterans at any stage in their career search are invited, including active duty, reservists, National Guard, as well as their family members. The Statewide Job Fair will also give veterans an opportunity to meet with these employers before the job fair opens to the public.

The event will take place in nine different locations throughout the state, including Concordia, Emporia, Great Bend, Junction City, Kansas City, Mulvane, Park City, Pittsburg and Topeka. The event will take place on Tue., Sept. 27. The fair will open exclusively to veterans from 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and at 3:00 p.m. all job seekers are invited to attend.

Employers who are interested in participating in the KANSASWORKS Statewide Job Fair or job seekers looking for a location nearest to them, please go to KansasCommerce.com, under the Job Seekers tab. For more information you may also call (877) 509-6757.

For more news from the Kansas Department of Commerce visit us on KansasCommerce.biz or on social media.

Today Sunny, with a high near 77. West wind 5 to 8 mph.

Tonight Clear, with a low around 48. South wind around 6 mph becoming west northwest after midnight.

TuesdaySunny, with a high near 83. West northwest wind 5 to 7 mph.

Tuesday NightClear, with a low around 53. Light and variable wind becoming south around 6 mph in the evening.

WednesdaySunny, with a high near 79. Northeast wind 6 to 9 mph.

Wednesday NightClear, with a low around 47.

ThursdaySunny, with a high near 74.

Thursday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 49.

FridayMostly sunny, with a high near 74.