KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — A federal judge in Kansas has ordered courthouse surveillance video preserved in a case involving a prosecutor’s visit to the judge’s chambers.
U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson’s order Wednesday directs authorities to produce all video from Aug. 25 to early Aug. 26 showing Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Tomasic and a deputy marshal on the floor where Robinson’s office is.
The Kansas City Star reports (https://j.mp/2cMaVx4 ) the allegation that Tomasic entered the judge’s chambers without authority was made public during a recent hearing involving an investigation into recordings of attorney-client meetings at a private prison.
The U.S. attorney’s office says Tomasic wanted to deliver materials Robinson requested and had the marshal open a door to a hallway leading to the chambers, where she intended to slide the documents under the door.
Former Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger, speaking at the Topeka YWCA on Wednesday, said that elected officials who ignore problems with the Affordable Care Act and advocate for its repeal aren’t being realistic. JIM MCLEAN / HEARTLAND HEALTH MONITOR
By JIM MCLEAN
Former Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger says members of Congress should set aside partisan differences and fix problems with the Affordable Care Act.
Failing to do so, she warns, could hasten consideration of a single-payer system.
Praeger, a Republican who crossed party lines while in office to support the ACA, says the problems that are causing some insurance companies to pull out of the online health insurance marketplace are fixable.
“There are some things that could be done if we could get Congress to be willing to come to the table to try to solve problems,” Praeger said during a luncheon speech Wednesday at the Topeka YWCA. “That really hasn’t been the case now for a few years. But they could fix it.”
Three in Kansas marketplace
Some of the nation’s largest health insurance companies have withdrawn from the ACA marketplace, including UnitedHealthcare, Anthem and, most recently, Aetna. In addition, many of the companies staying in the marketplace are limiting their offerings to plans that are more restrictive than many offered on the open market.
In Kansas, only three companies are offering plans in the marketplace for 2017. Medica, a nonprofit company based in Minnesota, agreed to join when United withdrew. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City remain but have requested large premium increases.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, which operates in 103 of the state’s 105 counties, has requested a 47.4 percent rate hike. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, which operates in Johnson and Wyandotte counties, has requested an increase of 28.1 percent.
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer, who succeeded Praeger, is expected to make rate-setting decisions next week.
Coventry Health and Life, an Aetna subsidiary, withdrew in August after initially indicating it would participate but sell only exclusive provider organization, or EPO, plans, which pay only for in-network care.
Four companies are expected to offer plans in Missouri: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City, Cigna, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (Healthy Alliance Life) and Humana. They are proposing rate increases ranging from Cigna’s 9 percent to Humana’s 34.9 percent.
Approximately 90,000 Kansans and 252,000 Missourians have marketplace plans, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Pressure for single-payer?
Insurance companies are withdrawing from the ACA marketplace because they’re losing money, Praeger said. In part, that is because a high percentage of the people purchasing marketplace plans are older and sicker than anticipated. She said too many younger, healthier people are choosing to pay tax penalties rather than buy insurance.
“The companies are saying, ‘Wait a minute. If only the older, sicker group is buying in and the younger, healthier group isn’t, we can’t do this anymore,’” Praeger said.
Congress could help solve that problem by increasing the penalties for not purchasing insurance and allowing companies to charge young consumers significantly less, she said.
Elected officials who ignore the problems and continue to advocate for repeal of the health reform law aren’t being realistic, Praeger said.
“The notion that somehow we would repeal this and go back to a system where people could be denied coverage based on their health conditions, or their age, or their sex, I just can’t imagine that could possibly happen,” she said.
What is more likely, she said, is that pressure will build for converting to a government-run single-payer system.
That is also the prediction of former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, who served under President Bill Clinton.
In a recent opinion piece published in several newspapers across the country, Reich said while “Obamacare can be patched” by increasing subsidies and forcing more healthy Americans to buy insurance, those would be “Band-Aids,” not long-term solutions.
He said the “real choice” is whether to continue propping up an unnecessarily expensive system run by insurance companies, in which sick people will find it increasingly difficult to get affordable coverage, or transitioning to a government-run single-payer system “dedicated to lower premiums and better care for everyone.”
“We’re going to have to choose eventually,” he wrote.
Republicans in Congress continue to call for repeal of the ACA as a part of their recently announced “Better Way” agenda.
Kansas 2nd District Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins said the GOP plan is a set of common-sense proposals to “get the government out of the way by implementing practical solutions to real problems.”
Jim McLean is executive editor of KHI News Service in Topeka, a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor team.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A judge has entered a not guilty plea for a man accused of burning a missing Missouri woman’s vehicle last week.
Kylr Yust is charged with knowingly burning 21-year-old Jessica Runions’ vehicle. The woman from the Kansas City suburb of Raymore was last seen leaving a party a week ago.
Police say Yust is a person of interest in the 2007 disappearance of an ex-girlfriend, Kara Kopetsky, who was 17 when she vanished days after filing for a protection order against Yust. She was last seen at her high school in Belton, south of Kansas City.
Runions -courtesy photo
Yust has not been charged in the disappearance of Runions or Kopetsky.
During Yust’s brief court appearance Thursday, the judge also read Yust his rights and scheduled his next court appearance for Sept. 29.
MANHATTAN -A former K-State student’s Snapchat selfie has drawn the attention of the university after the photo was shared by another student on social media.
The Snapchat photo went viral Thursday after two girls in blackface posted a selfie with the caption, “Feels good to finally be a n—–.”
K-State Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Pat Bosco addressed the issue with this statement:
Dear students, faculty and staff,
I have become aware that one of our students posted a racially offensive photo today on social media and used one of the most derogatory words in the English language. This photo has students, faculty, staff and other members of the K-State family upset. It rightly should, as there is no place for racism at our university, regardless of what the intentions may have been. K-State prides itself on being one family, no matter your race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or abilities. All members of the K-State family deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
As always, I want to applaud our students for their maturity and actions when it comes to these issues. Our students, faculty, administration and the Office of Diversity have done phenomenal work in areas of diversity and inclusion on our campuses. I especially want to note the diligent work of the K-State Black Student Union and its efforts and legacy of addressing these issues in an effective and pragmatic way. Over the past few years, BSU has worked in unison with the Staley School of Leadership Studies on its Cats for Inclusion Campaign. This campaign works to create effective dialogue around issues of race, and teaches would-be allies on how to take an effective anti-racist stance: catsforinclusion.wordpress.com.
I also am proud of the preliminary work that a cross section of student leaders from various organizations, including the Black Student Union, Hispanic American Leadership Organization, Asian American Student Union, Native American Student Association and the Student Governing Association, has done to create a student initiative around issues of diversity. Even
K-State’s Beta Upsilon Chapter of Zeta Tau Alpha released this response:–click to ENLARGE
with these initiatives, we obviously still have work to do. We are firmly committed to the principles of community at Kansas State University, and it is important that we educate our students daily on these principles. We must do better, and we will do better.
Pat Bosco Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students
DETROIT (AP) — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is recalling more than 1.9 million vehicles worldwide because their air bags might not deploy in a crash.
The recall affects certain Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Lancia vehicles from the 2010-2014 model years. Most are in the U.S., but 224,860 were sold in Canada and Mexico and 284,051 were sold outside North America.
FCA says an air-bag and seat-belt control module with a certain wiring design may not deploy the air bags or tighten the seat belts if the vehicle is involved in a frontal crash. That could increase the risk of injury.
The automaker says three deaths and five injuries may be related to the issue.
FCA will contact owners and replace the defective parts for free.
WASHINGTON — The Senate has approved a $10 billion water projects bill that includes six projects to improve flood damage and risks in Kansas
The legislation, with provisions from Senator Pat Roberts includes flood control in the city of Manhattan, the Upper Turkey Creek Basin affecting Merriam, The Blue River Basin affecting Dodson, The Swope Park Industrial Area, and the Armourdale and Central Industrial District Levee Units, Missouri River and Tributaries affecting Kansas City
Senators approved the bill by a 95-3 vote.
The legislation goes to the House, where approval of a similar bill — minus money for Flint, Michigan to fix the lead-contaminated water problems, is expected as soon as next week.
The legislation is supported by many municipal governments across Kansas and is expected to save taxpayers $6 million over the next ten years, according to a media release from Senator Roberts.
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach says county election offices are sorting through thousands of records to identify voters affected by a recent federal court order.
The Wichita Eagle reports that the effort stems from last week’s ruling blocking Kansas and two other states from requiring proof of citizenship from people who register to vote using the federal form.
Kobach says the state’s voter database does not differentiate between people who register with the federal form and the state form. That means local election officers will have to physically go through paper records of people who tried to register since January to determine which voters were affected by the ruling.
Kobach estimates that the number of people affected would be between 200 and 400 statewide.
SALINE COUNTY – Law enforcement authorities in Saline County are investigating an attempted murder and searching for a suspect.
Just before 10p.m. on Wednesday police officers were sent to an east Salina home for report of a domestic disturbance, according to Police Captain Mike Sweeney
A woman in her 30’s told police the suspect attempted to strangle her after an argument.
She said he punched and kicked her before forcing her into a bathroom, closed the door and would not allow her to leave.
Sweeney said the suspect also threatened to kill the woman several times before she was finally able to escape to a neighbor’s home and contact police.
By the time officers arrived, the suspect had fled and has not been located.
The woman was taken to Salina Regional Health Center and treated for bruising.
Arrest warrants have been requested for the suspect on charges including attempted 2nd degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, domestic battery and criminal threats, according to Sweeney.
HUTCHINSON – Law enforcement authorities in Reno County are investigating an alleged threat at High School in Hutchinson.
In an email message to parents, Trinity Catholic Principal Joe Hammersmith said that on Tuesday a student made a statement that could have been construed as a threat of violence.
Hutchinson Police have interviewed a number of students, are following up on those interviews and no arrests have been made, according to Detective Dean Harcrow.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Board of Regents is urging the governor and lawmakers to restore higher education funding.
The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that the regents took the stance Wednesday unanimously and without comment. For fiscal years 2018 and 2019, their proposal calls for reinstating about $30 million per year sliced from the fiscal 2017 budget.
The cuts announced in May represented a 4 percent higher education reduction. The University of Kansas and KU Medical Center lost about $10.7 million, and Kansas State University’s campuses lost about $7 million.
Regents chairwoman Zoe Newton says the board is “not unaware of the straits that we are in as a state.” But she says the board feels it needs to “put out there what it is that we feel we need as a system.”
WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Authorities say a man accused of driving drunk and killing two people when he crashed into a van that was transporting people with developmental disabilities has been ordered to serve 15 months in prison for a probation violation.
The Wichita Eagle reports that 56-year-old Bret Blevins was under probation after thefts last fall. The items stolen included a 6-foot-tall bronze eagle statue taken from in front of a Boy Scouts of America council building in Wichita.
Blevins admitted Wednesday in Sedgwick County District Court that prosecutors had enough evidence to prove he violated the probation terms because of the hit-and-run crash this spring that killed Dirk MacMillan and Leonard Atterbery and injured four others. He faces multiple charges, including two counts of involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence.
