To the editor:

The Sept. 15 article, “Report reflects Kansans’ insurance struggles,” discusses some of the key points in Kansas Action for Children’s newly released study entitled, “Making Families Count: Increasing Access to Affordable Healthcare in Kansas.” The report makes a number of excellent observations. These include the fact that a “significant minority of uninsured people are not low-income” and most of the uninsured children in Kansas — 71 percent — are currently eligible for public assistance.

The report does go astray, however, when it comes to policy recommendations. It makes sense to see that those who are uninsured but nonetheless eligible for public assistance are aware of the coverage available to them. It is important, though, to understand that any expansion of that eligibility will come at the cost of reductions in privately insured individuals. Some have even suggested that this is a one-to-one relationship.

As well, private insurance tools such as HSAs that increase accessibility to coverage are just becoming widely available. It is vital that the state not step in with co-pay and deductible caps that will undermine their effectiveness. With Medicaid and other social assistance programs already facing significant financial strain, policymakers need to take care that their actions do not needlessly shift individuals onto welfare programs that could otherwise provide for themselves.

Matthew Hisrich, director,

Consumer Driven Health Care Project,

The Flint Hills Center for Public Policy,

Wichita