Brief⁽¹⁾

S.B. 162 amends the statute creating the Kansas plan for providing health insurance for children. The bill adds a new provision that the plan use the same prior authorization standards and requirements as are used for health care services under the Medicaid Program.

Background

S.B. 162 was requested by the Committee on Public Health and Welfare and supported by its Chairperson, Senator Praeger, who explained that the new provision is important in order to establish the goal of seamlessness of coverage between the two programs. The bill also was supported by the Insurance Commissioner and the Kansas State Nurses Association. A representative of the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services expressed the belief that the bill was unnecessary.

The bill would have no fiscal impact.

1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/bill_search.html.