Kansas Mental
Health Coalition

          News

  • March 30, 2017 10:22 AM | Amy Campbell (Administrator)

    Gov. Sam Brownback vetoed  HB 2044 - the bill that included clubhouse rehabilitation programs and Medicaid Expansion language.  The bill was expected to provide Medicaid coverage to up to 150,000 low-income Kansans.  It would have provided coverage to many of the uninsured individuals currently receiving unreimbursed care at community mental health centers and hospitals. 

    Brownback’s veto was announced this morning on Twitter and was expected by many legislators, journalists and lobbyists.  The Kansas Legislature has 30 days to override the veto, which would require two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate.  See the Governor's twitter announcement below.

    Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article141667939.html#storylink=cpy 

    Twitter

    Sam Brownback    @govsambrownback

    I vetoed Medicaid expansion. It does not prioritize the vulnerable. It does not #DefundPP. It isn't responsible. It's bad for Kansas. #ksleg

    8:28 AM - 30 Mar 2017


  • March 28, 2017 4:14 PM | Amy Campbell (Administrator)

    Today - the Kansas Senate passed HB 2044 with a vote of 25 to 14.  This bill is also known as "the KanCare bridge to a healthy Kansas program."   

    Advocates will now wait to see if the Governor will veto the legislation.

    Kansas Senate votes to expand Medicaid as Gov. Sam Brownback doubles down on opposition     Read more here: http://wwwkansascity.com/news/politics-government/article141118813.html#storylink=cpy


  • March 17, 2017 3:57 PM | Amy Campbell (Administrator)

    Thank you for attending Mental Health Advocacy Day.  We hope you were able to talk about mental health with legislators and meet new people who care as much as you do.

    To make the most of your trip, we ask that you do two more things:

    1. Thank your legislators.  Please send a short thank you to legislators for your meetings and be sure to include your contact information and any followup information you may have promised.  There are tips in the following document - Click Here for Step by Step Tips for Appointments with Legislators

    2. Please provide feedback about your experience and your appointments at the following link

    www.surveymonkey.com/r/Advocacy_Day_2017

    Complete your feedback form by March 22nd and your name will be entered into a drawing for a $50 gift card.


  • January 09, 2017 10:29 AM | Amy Campbell (Administrator)

    The Kansas Legislature convened for the 2017 Legislative Session today, January 9, in Topeka.

    MARK YOUR CALENDARS NOW:  March 15, 2017 – Mental Health Advocacy Day   The schedule and registration information will be sent in a separate message.

    Click to see the 2017 Session Planner here. This calendar shows the days the Legislature will be in session and the deadlines for bill introductions and passage.  It is subject to change.  Legislative leaders expect to have a longer legislative session this year, and will face issues such as major tax changes, Medicaid expansion, and a new school finance formula.  The task will be challenging, with revenues $340 million short for the fiscal year ending in June.  Most of the newly elected legislators ran on the promise to reform the income tax reductions for business owners that were passed in 2012 and 2013 – but the Governor is opposed.  

    The Governor’s State of the State speech will be 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 10, and the House and Senate budget committees will receive the Governor’s Budget Proposal Wednesday morning.  Shawn Sullivan, Budget Director, will present the report to the House Appropriations and Taxation Committees at 9:00 a.m. and Senate Ways and Means Committee at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.  That report will be posted at the Governor's Budget website at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday - http://budget.ks.gov .  It is expected to contain a combination of budget cuts and revenue changes.

    It is important to take a moment each Friday to look at the House and Senate calendars posted for the following week at www.kslegislature.org to see what public hearings and meetings are scheduled for the following week.  This is especially important if you are watching specific issues of interest.  A better way to be prepared to act is to contact the committee secretary (listed below each committee name in the calendar) and ask IF and WHEN a bill or issue is to be discussed.  Typically, if you wish to testify or submit written comments for a public hearing on a bill, you will need to sign up with the secretary and turn in your testimony or comments at least 24 hours in advance.  Each committee’s rules are different and secretaries may have different requirements.  Unfortunately, there will also be hearings that pop up in the middle of the week with very little advance notice.  Committee schedules are also posted on the walls outside the House and Senate chambers and updated when changes occur.


  • September 09, 2016 10:05 AM | Amy Campbell (Administrator)

    Mental Health Matters - Now Is the Time to Reach Out to Candidates

    This the time when current legislators and those who are running for office are most engaged in listening to the people in their communities.  Please reach out to the candidates in your local races and share your interest in mental health issues.  

    Click here to view a list of 2016 Election Candidates.


  • May 02, 2016 6:30 AM | Amy Campbell (Administrator)

    House Passes Budget and Adjourns around 1:30 a.m.- Senate Works Past 3:20 a.m. in the early hours of Monday, May 2nd 

    The Kansas House approved the budget bill (House Sub for SB 249) at 1:05 a.m. after a little more than an hour of debate. The vote was 63-59.  They adjourned shortly after.  The 2016 Session is being touted as the shortest in 42 years by the House Speaker's Office.  That assumed the Senate would also approve the budget - which seemed uncertain around 3:00 a.m.  It was not clear what they would do if the votes were not there, since the House of Representatives had already gone home, planning to return June 1 for Sine Die.

    The Senate was placed on a Call (which would require every senator to be present and vote) because the budget bill was failing on a vote of 17 - 21.  Ultimately, senators began to switch their votes and it passed 22-18.

    The budget agreement includes all of the Governor's Budget Amendments except the three budget balancing options.  This includes the added money for the State Mental Health Hospitals.  See the Governor's Budget Amendments here.

    Rather than selecting one of the three options to cut programs, the conference committee instead elected to leave the difficult decisions about cutting programs and agencies to the Governor - to the tune of something around $200 million.  If he uses his Option #3 - that will mean 3% to 5% budget cuts to agencies including the KDADS, KDHE, DCF, etc.  The plan also cuts Regents Universities $17.6 million, sweeps $185 million from state highway funds, and counts on $10.6 million from implementing step therapy for Medicaid medications.

    A few items of interest added in the conference committee include:

    • Added $319,000 from the State General Fund to keep caseload savings within the Department of Corrections for evidence based juvenile justice programs for FY 2017.  (Preserving savings from SB 367)
    • Added language that any superintendent or physician newly appointed and any new staff, institution personnel, or employee shall be unclassified and Larned State Hospital and Osawatomie State Hospital shall not be outsourced or privatized without Legislative approval. (From SB 460)
    • Add language that any request for proposal to provide services and management at Larned State Hospital or Osawatomie State Hospital in FY 2016 must include provisions for electronic medical records, with patient data not hosted offshore, and any selection of entity providing services or management shall be approved by the Legislature.
    • Add language directing no expenditures can be made during FY 2016 and FY 2017 to proceed with integration of the Medicaid Home and Community Based Services waivers if the proposed integration is planned to occur prior to FY 2019. In addition, include language requiring reports to the Legislature during FY 2017.
    • Add language directing that an amount of State General Fund monies equivalent to the amount received in Tobacco Settlement Funds in excess of all expenditures and transfers made from the Kansas Endowment for Youth Fund be deposited in the Kansas Public Employee Retirement Trust Fund for the purposes of repaying the lapsed amount of KPERS employer contributions plus 8.0 percent per annum for FY 2017 and FY 2018.  (SB 249 would enable the state to delay a $96 million payment to the state’s pension fund until 2018, giving the state more flexibility to get through the current budget year, which ends in June.)
    • Add language that exempts from the Governor's special allotment authority any item of appropriation for any state agency or school district educating students in K-12 for FY 2016 and FY 2017. 


  • May 02, 2016 3:52 AM | Amy Campbell (Administrator)

    2016 Kansas Legislative Session 

    Step Therapy / HOPE Act Passes 

    The Step Therapy / HOPE Act (CCR on H Sub for SB 402) passed the House 79-43 around midnight Sunday, May 1st, and the Senate 27-13 after 1:15 a.m.  Read the description here.   See the notes here.  Remember - notes are a summary and not a transcript.

    All in all, the final language adopted in the conference committee report was significantly better than what had been passed by the Senate in February.  It includes six patient protection amendments proposed by the House conferees on the Health Conference Committee.  Ultimately, the success or harm of the program will depend on the care exercised by the Drug Utilization Review Committee and the Mental Health Medication Advisory Committee.  The Kansas Mental Health Coalition continued to oppose the bill because it did not exempt mental health medications.

    House Passes Budget and Adjourns around 1:30 a.m.- Senate Works Past 3:20 a.m. in the early hours of Monday, May 2nd 

    The Kansas House approved the budget bill (House Sub for SB 249) at 1:05 a.m. after a little more than an hour of debate. The vote was 63-59.  They adjourned shortly after.  The 2016 Session is being touted as the shortest in 42 years by the House Speaker's Office.  That assumed the Senate would also approve the budget - which seemed uncertain around 3:00 a.m.  It was not clear what they would do if the votes were not there, since the House of Representatives had already gone home, planning to return June 1 for Sine Die.

    The Senate was placed on a Call (which would require every senator to be present and vote) because the budget bill was failing on a vote of 17 - 21.  Ultimately, senators began to switch their votes and it passed 22-18.

    The budget agreement includes all of the Governor's Budget Amendments except the three budget balancing options.  This includes the added money for the State Mental Health Hospitals.  See the Governor's Budget Amendments here.

    Rather than selecting one of the three options to cut programs, the conference committee instead elected to leave the difficult decisions about cutting programs and agencies to the Governor - to the tune of something around $200 million.  If he uses his Option #3 - that will mean 3% to 5% budget cuts to agencies including the KDADS, KDHE, DCF, etc.  The plan also cuts Regents Universities $17.6 million, sweeps $185 million from state highway funds, and counts on $10.6 million from implementing step therapy for Medicaid medications.

    A few items of interest added in the conference committee include:

    • Added $319,000 from the State General Fund to keep caseload savings within the Department of Corrections for evidence based juvenile justice programs for FY 2017.  (Preserving savings from SB 367)
    • Added language that any superintendent or physician newly appointed and any new staff, institution personnel, or employee shall be unclassified and Larned State Hospital and Osawatomie State Hospital shall not be outsourced or privatized without Legislative approval. (From SB 460)
    • Add language that any request for proposal to provide services and management at Larned State Hospital or Osawatomie State Hospital in FY 2016 must include provisions for electronic medical records, with patient data not hosted offshore, and any selection of entity providing services or management shall be approved by the Legislature.
    • Add language directing no expenditures can be made during FY 2016 and FY 2017 to proceed with integration of the Medicaid Home and Community Based Services waivers if the proposed integration is planned to occur prior to FY 2019. In addition, include language requiring reports to the Legislature during FY 2017.
    • Add language directing that an amount of State General Fund monies equivalent to the amount received in Tobacco Settlement Funds in excess of all expenditures and transfers made from the Kansas Endowment for Youth Fund be deposited in the Kansas Public Employee Retirement Trust Fund for the purposes of repaying the lapsed amount of KPERS employer contributions plus 8.0 percent per annum for FY 2017 and FY 2018.  (SB 249 would enable the state to delay a $96 million payment to the state’s pension fund until 2018, giving the state more flexibility to get through the current budget year, which ends in June.)
    • Add language that exempts from the Governor's special allotment authority any item of appropriation for any state agency or school district educating students in K-12 for FY 2016 and FY 2017. 


  • May 02, 2016 2:04 AM | Amy Campbell (Administrator)

    Step Therapy / HOPE Act Passes 

    The Step Therapy / HOPE Act (CCR on H Sub for SB 402) passed the House 79-43 around midnight Sunday, May 1st, and the Senate 27-13 after 1:15 a.m.  Read the description here.   See the notes here.  Remember - notes are a summary and not a transcript.

    All in all, the final language adopted in the conference committee report was significantly better than what had been passed by the Senate in February.  It includes six patient protection amendments proposed by the House conferees on the Health Conference Committee.  Ultimately, the success or harm of the program will depend on the care exercised by the Drug Utilization Review Committee and the Mental Health Medication Advisory Committee.  The Kansas Mental Health Coalition continued to oppose the bill because it did not exempt mental health medications.


  • April 21, 2016 6:26 PM | Amy Campbell (Administrator)
    Governor's Budget Amendments

    Governor's Budget Amendment #1 (includes three budget balancing options) is available here.

    The GBAs were adopted by both the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Ways and Means Committee today.  Neither committee debated the three options for balancing the budget proposed by the Governor.

    The committee met jointly this morning to hear the report of the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group and to hear the Governor's Budget Amendments.  The committees met separately this afternoon and reviewed the Omnibus Budget Items (linked here) - budget issues that remain unresolved, and the Consensus Caseloads Report (linked here).  The full Legislature returns next Wednesday, April 27, to develop their final budget recommendations and vote on the many bills that remain in conference committees.

    Governor's Budget Amendment highlights -

    • $3,855,852 million to continue the Osawatomie State Hospital Diversion Program - providing private beds to supplement the reduced beds at OSH.  The Governor had provided a GBA in 2015 of $3.45 million, which did not last the full year and had to be supplemented within the agency.  (KVC Prairie Ridge program)
    • $1,298,537 to increase pay at Osawatomie State Hospital in FY 17 - 10% increase to Registered Nurses and 12% increase to Mental Health Technicians as per salary study.
    • $450,000 to increase pay at Larned State Hospital in FY 17 - 2.5% to Mental Health Technicians as per salary study.  (Have previously added funds for nurses and clinical staff)
    • $9,503,982 million to pay for lost federal Medicare and DSH payments at OSH due to CMS decertification and costs of recertification - ($5,905,488) offset leaves $3,598,494.  Expect to spend $2.3 m on recertification and staffing plus $1.2 m on consultant contract. 
    • $1,896,018 million to replace funds from withheld federal DSH payments at LSH due to incorrect former reimbursements that included SPTP patients
    • $1.1 million to offer raises to Social Workers at DCF if they switch from classified to unclassified personnel
    • multiple 
    • assumes $10.6 million savings projected from passage of SB 341 Medicaid Step Therapy - bill has not passed
    • assumes passage of KBA bill that has been hung up on STAR bond language.
    • lapses savings from closing YRC beds from the passage of SB 367 Juvenile Justice Reform - research and revisors staff does not agree with agency about how to implement "lockbox" provisions to save those funds for the program.  House Appropriations Committee took action to preserve those funds for KDOC, but Senate did not act.

    Neither committee took action on the Governor's recommended budget balancing options.

    *****************************************************************************

    Governor's Budget Balancing Options:  (From the GBA memo)

    In order to balance the FY 2016 and FY 2017 budgets, I offer the following three choices to the 2016 Legislature:  

    Option One Governor’s Allotment Authority The Governor would use his special allotment authority to reduce most of the remaining sales tax going into the State Highway Fund. This would transfer $70.0 million to the State General Fund in FY 2016 and $115.0 million in FY 2017. 

    The Governor would also carry forward into FY 2017 the 3.0 percent reduction made to Universities in FY 2016, which would be $17.7 million in reduced expenditures. 

    Legislative Approval Required 

    In option one; the state could securitize future tobacco settlement payments in excess of $42.0 million for an estimated one-time revenue infusion of approximately $158.0 million in FY 2017. Children’s programs currently financed through the Children’s Initiatives Fund would continue to receive funding of $42.0 million per year. Legislative approval to securitize future tobacco settlement payments would be provided to the Governor through a budget proviso. 

    Option Two Governor’s Allotment Authority The Governor would use his special allotment authority to reduce most of the remaining sales tax going into the State Highway Fund. This would transfer $70.0 million to the State General Fund in FY 2016 and $115.0 million in FY 2017. 

    The Governor would also carry forward into FY 2017 the 3.0 percent reduction made to Universities in FY 2016, which would be $17.7 million in reduced expenditures. 

    The Governor would also utilize the special allotment authority to reduce expenditures or transfer $25.0 million in targeted efficiency savings. 

    Legislative Approval Required 

    In option two, the FY 2016 fourth quarter KPERS payment would be delayed, as provided for in 2016 House Substitute for SB 161, but repayment would not be made until FY 2018. Legislative approval to reduce KPERS contributions and delay repayments would be provided to the Governor through a budget proviso. 

    Option Three Governor’s Allotment Authority The Governor would use his special allotment authority to reduce most of the remaining sales tax going into the State Highway Fund. This would transfer $70.0 million to the State General Fund in FY 2016 and $115.0 million in FY 2017. 

    Legislative Approval Required 

    In option three, three to five percent expenditure reductions would be made to most state agencies for FY 2017 and would total $139.3 million. Following is a summary of the reductions that would be made to state agencies: 

    3.0 percent reduction 

    Department for Aging & Disability Services (excludes HCBS appropriation) – $11,001,850 

    Department of Agriculture – $296,831 

    Department of Administration (excludes debt service) – $282,047 

    Fort Hays State University – $1,016,467 

    Office of the Governor – $201,225 

    Kansas Guardianship Program – $34,389 

    Health & Environment—Environment – $133,228 

    Historical Society – $130,885 

    Department of Labor – $9,363 

    KSU—Veterinary Medical Center – $452,898 

    Kansas State University—ESARP – $1,422,673 

    Emporia State University – $948,769 

    Pittsburg State University – $1,085,716 

    State Library – $120,751 

    Board of Regents (excludes debt service) – $5,930,603 

    Court of Tax Appeals – $23,837 

    Department for Children & Families (excludes caseloads) – $4,225,999 

    Department of Education* – $ 57,262,285   

    * The Department of Education reduction excludes KPERS, bond/interest aid, LOB aid and Capital Outlay aid. 

    University of Kansas Medical Center – $3,365,797 

    Kansas Water Office – $34,637 

    5.0 percent reduction 

    Health & Environment—Health – $35,636,050 

    Kansas State University – $5,122,604 

    University of Kansas (excludes debt service) – $6,814,504 

    Wichita State University – $3,728,210 


  • March 22, 2016 1:32 PM | Amy Campbell (Administrator)

    The 2016 Kansas Legislative Session is pushing toward First Adjournment March 23 or 24. Osawatomie State Hospital has received two informational hearings and plenty of legislative attention - focusing on CMS disqualifying the hospital from Medicare reimbursement.   Two bills carry Senate amendments that will prevent the State from privatizing state mental health hospitals without specific legislative approval.  A similar proviso was included in the first budget bill - already signed by the Governor.

    The Jason Flatts Act for suicide prevention training in schools (SB 323) has passed the Senate and House and is headed for conference committee.  See Testimony below.  This bill was amended by the House to include the provisions of a bill to implement seclusion and restraint policies for schools.

    Legislation to impose step therapy for Medicaid prescriptions (SB 341) has strong opposition from various health advocacy organizations, but was passed by the Senate 23 - 16 in February.  The House Health and Human Services Committee held a hearing but took no further action - the bill is considered a vehicle for Medicaid Expansion and House leadership is avoiding such bills.  Advocates expect the bill to be inserted into a conference committee bill because it carries a heavy fiscal note - projecting $10.6 million savings.  

    Mental Health Advocacy Day attracted around 300 participants on March 15 and featured a public rally with speeches from Senator Caryn Tyson, Rep. Kathy Wolfe-Moore, and Interim KDADS Secretary Tim Keck.  The weather turned cold and windy, but participants were rewarded with powerful poetry by Sherrie Purpose Hall and Nick Givechi.  Participants were recognized in the Senate by Senator David Haley.  The House Social Services Budget Committee held an informational hearing on the report of the Adult Continuum of Care Committeee that was convened by KDADS last summer.  The hearing was a robust and positive give and take about the shortcomings of the current mental health system and how to improve the continuum.

    The Legislature will be on spring break through April until the veto session April 27.

    See KMHC testimony below:

    2016 Testimony in Support of SB 447 Behavioral Health Tax Checkoff

    2016 Testimony for HSSBC Informational Hearing on the Adult Continuum of Care Committee

    2016 Testimony in Support of SB 232 Jason Flatt Act for Suicide Prevention Training

    2016 Testimony Opposed to SB 341 Medicaid Step Therapy Senate Public Health Committee

    2016 Testimony to House Social Services Budget Committee on the Medicaid Mental Health Medication Advisory Committee



(c) Kansas Mental Health Coalition, P.O. Box 4744, Topeka, KS  66604  785-969-1617

Powered by Wild Apricot Membership Software