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On Thursday the Kansas Health Policy Authority unveiled 21 recommendations to improve health, health care and health insurance coverage in Kansas. [Click here for report] Four of the proposals were specifically targeted at public education, including adding the commissioner of education to the KHPA board, collecting information on the health of school children, promoting healthy foods in schools, strengthening physical education requirements and expanding coordinated school health programs.
The 2007 Legislature directed KHPA to develop policy options in response to the growing cost of both private health care and insurance and public programs. Executive Director Marcia Nielsen told the committee if health care costs continue to increase at current rates, they will overwhelm the state and federal budget and swamp the private sector economy as well.
The recommendations were presented in a report to the Joint Committee on Health Policy Oversight, and fall into three broad categories: Promoting Personal Responsibility; Promoting Medical Homes and Paying for Prevention; and Providing and Protecting Affordable Health Insurance.
The plan carries a price tag of $86.3 million to the state general fund and a total of $159.8 million from all state funds, including federal matching dollars. Most of the cost would be to expand access for children and young adults through aggressive promotion of Medicaid and HealthWave (funded by the federal State Children's Health Insurance Program) and helping low income adults pay for health insurance premiums.
Among the more controversial proposals are a $0.50 per pack increase in the state cigarette tax, which would raise an estimated $51.9 million per year, and a statewide ban on smoking in public places. Similar proposals have been recently rejected by the Legislature.
Here are the details about the health policy options directly affecting public education:
- Include the commissioner of the education on the KHPA Board. The commissioner would be added as an ex-officio member. Dr. Nielsen stressed the KHPA board believes schools must be enlisted as "partners" in the effort to improve the health of Kansas citizens.
- Collect information on health/fitness of Kansas school children. The state is urged to monitor trends of overweight, obesity and fitness status for all public school children, specifically body mass index data and cardio-respiratory fitness. A bill with similar requirements was considered but not advanced by 2007 Legislature. The report acknowledges "schools would face some indirect costs for staff training and completion of the BMI data collection and recording," but does not specify exact costs or how the recommendation would actually be implemented.
- Promote health food choices in schools. The recommendation criticizes vending machines and school meals, but doesn't propose specific changes in law or regulation. Dr. Nielson said the KHPA wants to remove "junk food" from schools. The report acknowledges restrictions on vending machines and other competitive food sales will reduce school revenue generated by the sale of those items.
- Strengthen physical education and coordinated school health programs. The report suggests mandatory minimum minutes for physical education in elementary and middle schools, as well as specially trained PE teachers. It contains no estimates of the possible cost of additional teachers or how additional physical education could be added to the school day. However, it does request $1.757 million in state funding for a statewide comprehensive coordinated school health (CHS) program, which would provide $8,500 to implement a CSH planning process in each school.
The 2007 KASB Legislative Committee has recommended policy amendments supporting state assistance for school health programs rather than additional mandates. The committee also recommends a policy that would oppose new state mandates unless they receive an independent cost analysis and additional state funding is provided. The KASB Delegate Assembly will meet December 1 to consider these and other recommendations.
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