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Year: 2019

Research Estimates 1,000s Of Kansas Kids Qualify For Medicaid But Don’t Have Coverage

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Chris Neal / For the Kansas News Service

By CORINNE BOYER
Kansas News Service

GARDEN CITY — In 2017, an estimated 38,000 kids in Kansas didn’t have health insurance. That’s according to data recently released by the Kansas Health Institute.

The highest rates of uninsured kids live in the western and southwestern quadrants of the state, but large numbers of uninsured children also reside in the state’s more populous counties. The lack of Medicaid expansion could be contributing to the issue, but experts say it’s likely not the only reason.

“Is it a certain race and ethnicity? Is it a certain socioeconomic class? Is it by family income? Is it a certain age group — is it the zero to five group or are (the children) a little older?” Shah said.

For the first time, KHI calculated that approximately 25,000 kids are eligible for the state’s Medicaid program, KanCare, and most of them live in western Kansas. Shah said research shows rural areas can be difficult for insurance navigators and outreach specialists to cover.

Kendal Carswell is a licensed master social worker, a licensed clinical addictions counselor and a professor at the Fort Hays State University. Credit Corinne Boyer / Kansas News Service

Kendal Carswell is a social worker, addiction counselor and professor at Fort Hays State University, and has worked with uninsured people in southwest Kansas. In his experience, kids without insurance may come from families who slip between the cracks; that is, they earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to purchase health insurance.

“There are a lot of working poor … because the threshold for where you’re considered poor … is so low that you can earn almost nothing and can’t get assistance,” Carswell said.

He added that sometimes undocumented immigrants whose children are eligible for KanCare forgo enrollment out of fear that their personal information could be shared with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Carswell has walked a few refugees through the federal health insurance exchange website, but said facets of health insurance like paying for monthly premiums and deductibles raised even more questions from people who are new to the U.S. health insurance system.

“And to them, it was like, well, a scam,” Carswell said.

In rural Sheridan County, an estimated 17.5% of children are uninsured. Becky Mullins, an insurance biller at Sheridan County Hospital, said she also sees a lot of people who are underinsured.

“We have a lot of people that bought into the ACA (Affordable Care Act) — the high deductible plan. And because of that they’ve got to pay $5,000 out of their pocket before their insurance is going to kick in,” Mullins said.

For families who can’t afford the out-of-pocket cost, Mullins said, the hospital has a financial assistance program that both uninsured and underinsured patients can apply for.

But Mullins said more people may have coverage in 2019 because over time people have learned more about the rules and regulations of the federal health insurance program.

“The process has evolved, (and has) kind of gotten all the bumps worked out,” Mullins said. “I do see uninsured families, and generally, I don’t see them go uninsured for long periods of time.”

KHI calculated the statewide data by using numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Small Area Health Insurance Estimates, Shah said.

“So thinking through partnering with local organizations, local coalitions and maybe thinking through strategies like that to facilitate enrollment may so that’s another area to explore,” Shah said.

*The Kansas Health Institute receives support from the Kansas Health Foundation, a funder of the Kansas News Service.

Corinne Boyer covers western Kansas for High Plains Public Radio and the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter @corinne_boyer or or email [email protected]. The Kansas News Service is a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio focused on the health and well-being of Kansans, their communities and civic life.

OF Gordon goes free after $23M option declined by Royals

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – The Royals have declined their half of Alex Gordon’s $23 million mutual option for 2020, allowing the outfielder to become a free agent.

Gordon had exercised his part of the option but was allowed to go free Saturday. He will receive a $4 million buyout, completing a $72 million, four-year contract he agreed to in January 2016.

A three-time All-Star and seven-time Gold Glove winner, Gordon helped the Royals win the 2015 World Series for their first title since 1985.

He batted .266 this year with 13 homers and 76 RBIs for the rebuilding Royals, who topped 100 losses for the second straight season. Gordon is a career .258 hitter with 186 homers and 738 RBIs.

More than 100 Kansas City students’ ACT tests still missing

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KANSAS CITY (AP) — More than 100 students who took the ACT this fall at a Kansas City high school will likely have to retake the college entrance exam because the results are missing.

ACT officials said that 111 exams that were taken Sept. 14 at Park Hill High School weren’t in the testing package when it arrived at their offices.

ACT spokesperson Ed Colby says searches have been conducted of the school and FedEx facilities on the route of the package. He says that ACT staff will continue to work with the test center and FedEx to search for the missing documents.

Colby says ACT officials will keep looking for the answers, and then they’ll grade them if they find them. In the meantime, they’re offering students a free makeup test on Nov. 9 or any other future date.

Commission will consider changes to public nudity ordinance in Manhattan

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MANHATTAN — The Manhattan City Commission will consider an amendment to Manhattan’s public nudity ordinance at Monday’s legislative meeting, according to a media release from the city.

City Commission at work in Manhattan

First adopted in 2003, the existing ordinance makes it unlawful to publicly display female breasts or male or female buttocks or genitals.  The ordinance contains exceptions from prosecution, including for breastfeeding mothers. 
 
The proposed amendment removes the female breast from the definition of public nudity, in reaction to a court case that applies in Kansas.  If the amendment is adopted, Manhattan’s public nudity ordinance will continue to prohibit the display of male or female buttocks or genitals in public. Even as amended, Manhattan’s public nudity ordinance will still be stricter than many areas of Kansas. 
 
“The State of Kansas does not have a state law that prohibits general public nudity,” said City Attorney Katie Jackson.  “To prohibit general public nudity within a city’s limits, the city must adopt an ordinance similar to Manhattan’s.” 
 
Even with the amended ordinance, the City of Manhattan’s public nudity law will still be stricter than many smaller cities and unincorporated areas of Kansas, because Manhattan would still prohibit public display of female or male genitals or buttocks.  However, it is still critical to understand that these communities are also subject to the same state and federal laws as Manhattan, and public nudity in these communities could be prosecuted if the facts violate state or federal law.  
 
“Federal and state criminal laws apply throughout Kansas,” said Jackson.  The facts may violate the “lewd and lascivious” state law, or if a minor is involved, child pornography or other sex offense laws.  “If the facts surrounding a display of female toplessness violate a federal or state law, the offender can be prosecuted in federal or state court regardless of what a city ordinance says.” 
 
Riley County Attorney Barry Wilkerson agreed.  “Manhattan’s proposed change to its public nudity ordinance will not impair our ability to prosecute displays of public nudity or female toplessness that result in violations of state law.”  The County Attorney’s Office also prosecutes offenses related to public nudity that occur in the unincorporated areas of Riley County.  Unlike Manhattan, these areas have no local regulations prohibiting general public nudity.

The ordinance “decriminalizes” female toplessness, but only from the City’s ordinance.  If the definition is changed, the City will not be able to prosecute a public display of female toplessness in the Manhattan Municipal Court.  But this is not the same as “legalizing” female toplessness, which implies that a public display of female toplessness does not violate any law.  Depending upon the facts, state or federal laws may be violated.
 
“A city ordinance amendment does not change state or federal law.  Manhattan cannot legalize conduct that the federal or state laws make illegal,” said Jackson.
 
If the City Commission amends the ordinance on November 5, it retains the ability to amend it again in the future if the law changes or as issues arise.  At first reading of the ordinance, the Commission noted that the ordinance can be revisited before the City’s swimming pools open.  “This is an evolving area of the law, and we may have more guidance from federal or state courts in the next several months,” said Jackson.
 
A private business owner or organization may require a patron to wear a shirt or other clothing upon their private property.  If a topless male or female enters the location, they can be asked to adhere to the dress code or leave, and be cited for criminal trespass if they refuse.

 

The Latest: Two Kansas men hospitalized after chase, crash

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Kirk from an earlier arrest in Shawnee County

ATCHISON COUNTY — Two people were injured in an accident just after 5a.m. Sunday in Atchinson County.

A Jackson County Sheriff’s Deputy attempted to stop a 2004 Saturn Ion driven by Robert Neal Kirk, Jr. 56, Topeka, in the area of 254th Road. and US Highway 75  for traffic infractions, according to Shawnee County Sheriff Tim Morse.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a Jackson County Kansas deputy was eastbound on Kansas 9 Highway three miles north of Muscotah in pursuit of a 2004 Saturn Ion driven by Robert Neal Kirk, Jr., 56, Topeka.

The vehicle continued north on W Road to K-9 Highway then east through the city of Whiting and east into Atchison County. The driver failed to negotiate the curves at 159 Highway and continued east off the road and rolled and came to rest on its top. 

EMS transported Kirk to the hospital in Hiawatha. EMS transported a passenger Ronald E. Snowberger, 49, St. George to the Atchison Hospital.

Both were properly restrained at the time of the accident.  The incident remains under investigation, according to Morse.

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Allen leads Broncos past Browns in first NFL start

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DENVER (AP) — Fourth-year quarterback Brandon Allen sparked Denver’s stagnant offense, throwing for two touchdowns in his first career NFL start and leading the Broncos past the stumbling Cleveland Browns 24-19 Sunday.

“We’re not ready to put him in Canton yet, but overall very pleased with his play,” Broncos coach Vic Fangio said.

In his first start in 1,402 days, Allen threw a 21-yard pass to Courtland Sutton and a 75-yarder to rookie tight end Noah Fant , and Phillip Lindsay ran nine times for 92 yards and a touchdown.

The Broncos (3-6) didn’t truncate the playbook with Joe Flacco (neck) on injured reserve, and Allen threw for 193 yards on 12-of-20 passing.

Allen actually added a wrinkle to an offense that Flacco, before going on IR with a neck injury, criticized as too conservative last week. Allen added roll-outs and bootlegs to the mix, running twice for 16 yards. Denver hasn’t seen much mobility in the pocket from its quarterbacks since Tim Tebow’s tenure.

Denver’s defense stifled Baker Mayfield & Co. all afternoon, forcing the Browns (2-6) to settle for four short field goals and twice stuffing them on fourth down. The first stop came at the Denver 5-yard line and again at the Broncos 28 to get the ball back with 3:19 remaining and the Browns out of timeouts.

Lindsay gained 16 yards on a direct snap to gain the first down and allow the Broncos to go into victory formation.

Allen’s first NFL action came in his fourth season in the league.

“It’s tough and there’s a lot of guys that will tell you, this league is tough,” Allen said. “You get cut, traded, waived, whatever, it’s all about perseverance and getting that opportunity to see what you can do. And a lot of guys don’t even get that opportunity, so I feel blessed.”

Nick Chubb was held to 65 yards on 20 carries, and Mayfield finished with 273 yards passing.

Browns receivers Jarvis Landry (six catches for 51 yards) and Odell Beckham Jr. (five catches for 87 yards) were forced to change their colorful cleats at halftime to conform to the league’s dress code.

Allen not only gave Denver a jolt, but he stood the pocket to absorb a big hit on the long touchdown to Fant. Left tackle Garett Bolles, who drew two more flags, whiffed on Olivier Vernon and the defensive end crushed Allen just as he got the pass off.

Vernon looked up only to see Fant slipping three tackles before crossing midfield and sprinting down Denver’s delirious sideline.

The Broncos, the first team since the Browns in 2010 to play a game without a single quarterback on their active roster who had taken a snap in a regular season game, turned to Allen for his first start since he led Arkansas over Kansas State in the Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2, 2016.

Denver took a 17-12 halftime lead by holding Cleveland to four field goals

“It’s tough to win in the NFL when you only score three,” Beckham said.

Or zero.

Twice in the second half, the Broncos held on fourth down.

Todd Davis stuffed Mayfield on a fourth-and-inches sneak at the Denver 5-yard line in the third quarter, after which Allen directed a seven-play, 95-yard drive, which Lindsay capped with a 30-yard touchdown run.

The Broncos stiffened again when Chris Harris Jr. broke up a pass to Beckham on third-and-6 from the 18, but officials flagged safety Justin Simmons for pass interference, giving Cleveland a new set of downs. Mayfield threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Landry on the next snap to pull the Browns within 24-19.

After forcing a punt, the Browns got the ball back at their 12 and quickly reached the Denver 28, where they used their final timeout on fourth-and-4 with 3:23 left in the game.

Mayfield fired a pass to Landry that Kareem Jackson and Davontae Harris both broke up, giving Denver the ball back.

INJURIES

Browns tight end Ricky Seals-Jones left in the second quarter with a knee injury and didn’t return.

UP NEXT

Browns: Host Buffalo on Sunday.

Broncos: Have a bye before visiting Minnesota on Nov. 17.

Troopers: Teen found with meth strapped to her abdomen

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LEXINGTON, Mo. (AP) — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a drug trafficking operation — and possible human trafficking ring — after troopers conducting a traffic stop found a 15-year-old girl with several pounds of methamphetamine strapped to her abdomen.

Photo courtesy MSHP

The traffic stop occurred Tuesday on Interstate 70 in western Missouri. Troopers say a 22-year-old California woman was driving, and the girl was a passenger. When an officer called the girl’s mother, she told him she thought her daughter was at school and had no idea who the California woman was.

When questioned, the girl told officers she had 5.5 pounds of meth strapped to her.

The woman was charged Wednesday with drug trafficking, endangering the welfare of child and other counts. The teen was returned to her mother, and police say no charges against her are expected.The patrol is working with federal law enforcement on the case.

Rural Kansas grass fire burns 300-400 acres

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HARVEY COUNTY — Authorities are investigating the cause of a Sunday afternoon grass fire in Harvey County.

Sunday fire burned over 300 acres -photo courtesy Harvey County

The fire in the 3800 block of North Sand Hill Road northeast of Burrton burned about 300 to 400 acres of land, according to a media release.

The spread of the fire was stopped, and there are no injuries or damage to homes reported at this time.

Responders will be on site throughout the night to monitor for potential hot spots.

Sand Hill was closed between Northwest 36th and 60th streets, according to the release.

Fire departments from Burrton, Halstead, Hesston, Newton, Sedgwick, Buhler, Hutchinson and Moundridge responded. We also had Burrton EMS, Harvey County Communications and the Harvey County Sheriff’s Office on scene. Thank you to all for the help.

Butker’s late FGs help Chiefs rally past Vikings

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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Harrison Butker watched his 44-yard field goal split the uprights, the clocks inside Arrowhead Stadium reading zero, and the Chiefs kicker turned and sprinted the other way in celebration.

The first person to join him? Patrick Mahomes.

The reigning league MVP, who missed his second straight game while recovering from a dislocated kneecap, looked just fine as he joined Butker and the rest of his Kansas City teammates in a midfield mob after their heart-stopping 26-23 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

“I was sprinting down, maybe just from my soccer background growing up — that’s what you do when you score,” said Butker, who thought the winner may have been tipped. “When I was going I saw Patrick, and I wanted to embrace him and I’m like, ‘Nah, he can’t get hurt.'”

Matt Moore started in Mahomes’ place and threw for 275 yards and a touchdown, and he made the crucial plays when they mattered. He hit favorite target Tyreek Hill to convert a key third down and set up Butker’s career best-tying 54-yard field goal to knot the game, then found Hill again a couple minutes later to make the winner a little more manageable.

“I thought, Matt, that was a gutsy performance by him,” said Chiefs coach Andy Reid, whose team snapped a three-game skid at Arrowhead Stadium. “He took a couple of licks there and he got back up and finished. But just him calming the storm I thought was good.”

Hill finished with six catches for 140 yards for the Chiefs (6-3), including a spectacular TD grab, while Damien Williams ran for 125 yards — most of it on a 91-yard touchdown run.

Kirk Cousins threw for 220 yards and three touchdowns for the Vikings (6-3), though he struggled to deal with the Chiefs’ blitzes late in the game. Dalvin Cook was held to 71 yards rushing while top wide receiver Stefon Diggs had a single catch for four yards.

The Chiefs largely controlled the first half, building a 10-7 lead with the ball in the closing minutes. But they proceeded to go three-and-out, the Vikings marched downfield for a tying field goal, then got the ball back when Mecole Hardman fumbled the opening kickoff of the second half .

Suddenly, it was the Vikings who had taken control.

They needed just five plays to punch it into the end zone, despite a holding penalty setting them back. Amir Abdullah finished it with a 17-yard catch in which nobody was within 10 yards of him.

Hardman hurt the Chiefs again by failing to call a fair catch on a punt downed at their 3. But that flub was rendered irrelevant when Williams took a handoff, found a gaping hole on the left side of the line and made the only safety in front of him miss on a 91-yard touchdown run .

“We misfitted a little bit,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. “We had a pressure coming off the outside, we got a little wide and then we missed tackles.”

Minnesota answered in the seesaw affair.

Leaning heavily on Cook, the league’s leading rusher, the Vikings marched 75 yards without facing third down until the final play. That’s when Cousins hit Kyle Rudolph from 3 yards out for the score, taking advantage of a Kansas City defense with just 10 players on the field.

After trading punts, the Chiefs put together another drive. Moore hit Hill to convert a key third down, and Butker matched his career long with a 54-yard field goal with 2:30 to go.

It was a monumental kick — and he had another coming a couple minutes later.

“This was a great win, a great team win,” Hill said. “We all did our thing, and this team needed this victory because the vibe in the locker room the last few weeks has been down. This is great, especially against a great team like this that has got a great quarterback, great coach, great team, period. So, this was a great win for us.”

MR. JONES

Chiefs DT Chris Jones, back after missing three games to a groin injury, wreaked havoc at the line of scrimmage. He was instrumental in holding Cook in check, harassed Cousins all game and forced an incompletion that led to the Vikings’ final punt of regulation.

INJURIES

Vikings: WR Adam Thielen left late in the first quarter after aggravating a hamstring injury that first occurred against Detroit and kept him out last week against Washington. “You know, it’s not ideal,” Cousins said, “but you look at their sideline and they’re missing people. You understand at this point in the season you have to respond when you face adversity and we’re probably healthier than many teams. You have to still find a way to get the job done.”

Chiefs: Along with Mahomes, the Chiefs were missing starting LT Eric Fisher (groin), RG Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (ankle), CB Kendall Fuller (thumb) and DEs Frank Clark (neck) and Alex Okafor (ankle).

UP NEXT

Minnesota visits the Cowboys next Sunday night.

Kansas City visits the Titans next Sunday.

FHSU women’s soccer fights back to beat Washburn

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Courtesy FHSU Athletics / Allie Schweizer photo

TOPEKA, Kan. – Facing a 1-0 deficit for nearly 70 minutes, Fort Hays State scored two goals in the final 14 minutes of play to steal a conference match at Washburn in Topeka on Sunday (Nov. 3) by a score of 2-1. With the victory, The Tigers improved their record to 10-4-2 (6-2-2 MIAA). The Ichabods now stand at 7-9-1 (3-7-1 MIAA).

Washburn came out of the gates in a hurry. Just seven minutes into the game, Josie Rimmer netted her fifth goal of the year off an assist from Oliva Grasso. The Tigers continued to attack, putting four of six shots on goal, however, they were unable to break through against goalkeeper Raegan Wells in the first 45 minutes.

The second half started out similar to the first. The Tigers continued to test Wells, but she was unwilling to give in. Cailey Perkins changed that in the 76th minute. After the Tigers worked the ball around the field, Perkins found herself outside the box with an opening, and fired a bullet into the upper-left corner for her fifth goal of the year. Feeding off the momentum, Fort Hays continued its attack finding the go-ahead goal just 12 minutes later. Looking for more late game heroics in the 88th minute, senior Darby Hirsch lined up for a free kick a little left of center outside the top of the box. From about 20 yards out, Hirsch was able to sneak a ball under leaping defenders past Raegan Wells into the lower right corner of the net, lifting the Tigers to a 2-1 victory.

Not to be overlooked, Megan Kneefel (9-3-2) became the all-time leader in saves in FHSU Women’s Soccer history in the 28th minute. Her all-time saves number now stands at 198. With today’s victory, Kneefel also picked up her 24th career win, putting her in a tie for first place. Kneefel rebounded nicely after giving up the early goal by saving nine shots on the day and shutting down numerous chances for the Ichabods to increase their lead.

Offensively, Fort Hays State put up 17 shots with 11 on goal. Midfielder Chloe Montano led the way with eight shots and four on goal. Hirsch was the next closest with two shots and one on goal.

The Tigers wrap up their 2019 regular season with a rescheduled game against Central Missouri that was postponed in mid-October. The Tigers and Jennies are scheduled to kickoff at 2 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon at FHSU Soccer Stadium.

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