The 2016 state legislative session is just a few weeks in and local services are already preparing for the worst.
Big Lakes Developmental Center, which provides services to individuals with developmental disabilities in Riley, Geary, Clay and Pottawatomie counties, may see a program face the chopping block just 18 months after it started.
Big Lakes director Lori Feldkamp told Riley County commissioners Monday morning that proposed budget changes from Gov. Sam Brownback could eliminate the Health Homes Program, which offers care for people with Medicaid with mental health conditions and is also used by other local health providers such as Pawnee Mental Health Services.
The program was created under the Affordable Care Act — otherwise known as “Obamacare” — and was adopted by Brownback’s “KanCare” alternative. It has a 90 percent federal match for the first two years.
Feldkamp told commissioners the elimination of the Health Homes could make Big Lakes’ budget $100,000 leaner.
“It’s kind of disappointing,” she said. “I think it’s a good program and it’s worth the time and effort to try and reduce the amount of hospitalizations and ER visits.”
Commissioner Robert Boyd said it was too soon to consider cutting the program after it was just started in the county 18 months ago.
“We just got started,” he said. “We don’t have enough data on them.
“That is just abysmal executive leadership on our state’s part.”
In other items, county counselor Clancy Holeman informed commissioners that the Kansas Association of Counties has introduced a bill to repeal the property tax lid law, which was inserted into last summer’s budget bill in the early morning hours when it was passed during the much maligned extended session that resulted in sales tax increases.
