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National politics

Affordable Care Act bringing jobs to Lawrence
May 16, 2013
Lawrence will be a beneficiary of the federal government’s effort to help Americans understand the coverage being made available by the Affordable Care Act. A yet-to-be-determined number of positions will be added later this year to the Vangent call center in the East Hills Business Park, where operators will assist consumers purchasing insurance in the new online health care exchanges, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has confirmed. The jobs are a fraction of the 7,000-9,000 positions that will be created this fall nationwide at up to 14 call centers nationwide, some of which, including the one in Lawrence, currently handle Medicare-related queries. By Giles Bruce
U.S. Attorney General Holder tells Brownback new gun law is unconstitutional
09:47 a.m., May 2, 2013 Updated 05:18 p.m.
A new Kansas law that criminalizes federal enforcement of gun laws is unconstitutional, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has said. By Scott Rothschild
Former Kansas officials may provide path for current leaders to Medicaid expansion
March 27, 2013
Two former Kansas officials — Kathleen Sebelius and Andy Allison — may be helping Kansas leaders find a way to expand Medicaid without appearing to embrace Obamacare. By Scott Rothschild
Open access to research, long a focus at KU, now grabbing national headlines
March 10, 2013
The suicide of a “hacktivist,” a new order from the White House and legislation introduced in Congress have all drawn attention this year to an issue supporters refer to in short as “Open Access.” It has to do with allowing scholars, and the general public, access to academic research that’s been funded by federal dollars. And it’s been a focus at Kansas University for years. By Matt Erickson
Republicans push through resolution opposing expansion of Medicaid
February 26, 2013
Republicans on a House committee Tuesday pushed through a resolution that says the Legislature does not want to expand Medicaid to upwards of 150,000 low-income Kansans under the federal Affordable Care Act. By Scott Rothschild
U.S. Rep. Pompeo critical of KU Chancellor Gray-Little’s video on sequestration
February 22, 2013
U.S. Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Wichita, accused Kansas University Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little of overly strong rhetoric in a video put out by a science and research group that urges Congress to stop the sequester. By Scott Rothschild.
Statehouse Live: Brownback administration releases estimate on expanding Medicaid, $600 million over 10 years
February 8, 2013
Expanding Medicaid under federal health reform will cost Kansas approximately $600 million over 10 years, according to an executive summary of a study released Friday by Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration. By Scott Rothschild.
Lawrence teen attends presidential inauguration
January 30, 2013
A 16-year-old Lawrence resident was in Washington, D.C., last week for the inauguration of President Barack Obama. And she was there four years ago, to witness Obama’s first swearing-in ceremony. By Meagan Thomas
Statehouse Live: Commissioner Praeger urges state to partner with feds on health insurance exchange
January 22, 2013
Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger on Tuesday urged legislators to join with the federal government in putting together a health insurance exchange that is a key component of the Affordable Care Act. By Scott Rothschild.
In Obama’s second inaugural address, he calls on U.S. to help poor, elderly
January 21, 2013
Declaring “our journey is not complete,” President Barack Obama took the oath of office for his second term before a crowd of hundreds of thousands Monday. By The Associated Press Other Inaugural Coverage • KU trumpeters get last-minute call to perform in presidential inaugural parade • LHS grad has role in inaugural parade • Free State graduate part of honor guard for presidential inauguration
Kansas farming landscape changing in Washington
January 7, 2013
Kansas farmers who have been weathering an epic drought now must also deal with a stormy forecast from Congress. By Scott Rothschild.
113th Congress: Huelskamp doesn’t vote for Boehner; Roberts to lose ranking member status on Agriculture Committee
January 3, 2013
Kansas’ all-Republican congressional delegation started the 113th session on Thursday by making news. U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp thumbed his nose at House Speaker John Boehner, and U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts was bumped from a ranking position on the Senate Agriculture Committee, but he will remain on the committee. By Scott Rothschild.
Roberts, Moran vote for bill avoiding fiscal cliff; Jenkins, Yoder, Pompeo, Huelskamp vote against it
January 1, 2013
Kansas’ all-Republican delegation split Tuesday on the bill that avoided sending the federal government over the so-called fiscal cliff. U.S. Sens. Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran voted for the bill, and all four U.S. representatives voted against it. Those are Lynn Jenkins of Topeka, whose district includes Lawrence; Kevin Yoder of Overland Park, Mike Pompeo of Wichita and Tim Huelskamp of Fowler. By Scott Rothschild.
Managed-care organizations staff up in preparation for KanCare
December 29, 2012
Three managed care organizations have increased their presence in Kansas with staff and facilities as they prepare to implement the KanCare system of Medicaid services. The hiring of several hundred employees — and more likely in the coming years — is an unexpected bonus for Gov. Sam Brownback. New hires mean more revenue and economic activity in Kansas as the state aims to save nearly $1 billion over five years by curbing the growth in its share of health care costs. By The Associated Press
In new year expect more dueling over health care
December 29, 2012
Gov. Sam Brownback spent 2012 stiff-arming Obamacare, but received federal permission to turn over the Kansas Medicaid program to private companies. That kind of maneuvering will likely continue in 2013 as more of the Affordable Care Act — commonly referred to as Obamacare — becomes a reality, the new KanCare Medicaid system takes effect next week, and a major decision awaits on whether to expand Medicaid coverage to tens of thousands of Kansans. By Scott Rothschild

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