To the editor:

The Brownback administration is doing something good! KanCare, the Kansas Medicaid program, will start the Health Home project in July. This will provide monitoring and support for people with chronic illnesses who are insured by Medicaid. Special staff will monitor care, encourage coordination among various medical providers and will support individuals to get prescriptions filled, keep appointments and to make their concerns known to the medical personnel treating them.

The goal is better treatment, improved health, and prevention of the pattern of repeated crises with avoidable trips to the hospital.  The funding basically comes from the federal government — our taxes returning to Kansas to help fellow citizens and make health care more efficient.

The expansion of Medicaid, an integral feature of Obamacare, also would have improved the health of many people and helped to avoid costly medical crises. This has been blocked by Brownback and the Republicans. Evidently the Health Home is considered a wise use of federal tax dollars to help Kansans and make Medicaid more cost-effective, but the proposed expansion of Medicaid would rely on obviously undependable federal funding and is one more step towards dependency on big government.

The real difference between the programs? The expansion of Medicaid is expressly promoted by President Obama, and Republicans are committed to blocking his initiatives.  I hope to see the day when political decisions are made to benefit the people, not the political party. Maybe that day will come next November if we all get out to vote.