In 2007 the Kansas Health Policy Authority (KHPA) delivered a comprehensive health reform plan to the Legislature and the Governor which was formulated with the express purpose of improving health in Kansas. A primary means to accomplish that was by promoting medical homes. The Governor and key legislative leaders strongly endorsed the medical home concept as the preferred method of delivering services to Medicaid and SCHIP beneficiaries, as well as state employees and their dependents. In 2008, Kansas policymakers demonstrated support for adopting the medical home concept for Medicaid/SCHIP and state employee enrollees by passing Sub. SB 81 (New Section 13), which defined the medical home in statute. Since passage of that legislation, KHPA has dedicated staff working with stakeholders to develop a Kansas specific medical home model.
As of April 2010, KHPA is taking the following steps:
- creating a draft recognition standard to recognize medical home practices. The stakeholder group will provide comment on the draft medical home certification elements.
- continuing to reach out to foundations to fund incremental steps toward advancing medical homes, such as learning collaboratives and practice coaching. Foundation support may complement KHPA’s partnerships with primary care associations.
- considering how to realign payment strategies in a budget neutral fashion to recognize the added value offered by medical homes.
