Topeka ? Several Republican legislators on Friday criticized the Kansas Health Policy Authority because of continued problems in processing applications for the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

But a Democratic legislator said KHPA has been coping with circumstances beyond its control, including deep budget cuts from the Legislature.

Rep. Brenda Landwehr, R-Wichita, and chair of the Joint Committee on Health Policy Oversight, said she was “livid” over the backlog of 28,000 applications for health insurance for low income Kansans.

“Apparently kids were not a priority for Kansas,” when the Legislature approved budgets over the past two years, she said.

But Rep. Jim Ward, D-Wichita, said budget cuts have been harmful to numerous state functions, such as prisons and programs for the elderly.

With a historic drop in tax revenues, legislators and Gov. Mark Parkinson have cut approximately $1 billion over the past two legislative sessions.

“There are a lot of consequences,” Ward said. In addition to sustaining budget cuts, KHPA has had to deal with a record number of people seeking Medicaid assistance, expanded eligibility for the program and more regulations.

Rep. Peggy Mast, R-Emporia, criticized KHPA for failing to help her constituents when she notified the agency of problems.

Mast said other state agencies are much more responsive when she calls them on behalf of constituents.

But Andrew Allison, executive director of KHPA, said because KHPA is an independent, nonpolitical agency, he made a decision not to forward one application past another based on a legislator’s request.

“I did make that decision not to play favorites,” he said.

Allison said because of some federal grants the state has received, the state’s contractor for the health insurance program should have the applications backlog cleared by March 1.