Access to Care

Access to care plays a critical role in supporting Kansans’ health and strong communities. Particularly in rural areas where the population is growing older and more sparse, providers are looking for ways to both stay financially viable and provide quality integrated care for the people they serve.

Our Goal: Sustainable health care systems that ensure people have access to care

Convening disparate individuals and groups has long been a role of the Health Fund. We will convene stakeholders with the intention that shared knowledge and experiences will unveil greater opportunity for systems change and growth.

To be financially sustainable, health care providers need a stable and adequate reimbursement system. Kansas needs to improve policies and data/tracking infrastructure to be competitive for federal grants to initiate and further health care delivery. We will support studies, pilot projects, grant applications, and idea-sharing for financing rural health care systems, and support advocacy for policy changes and grassroots efforts enabling this flow of funds.

Rural Kansas’ changing demographics and the ever-changing state of healthcare reimbursement put severe pressure on traditional rural health care models. We will help create an environment that fosters scalable new ideas including study, development, sharing, and pilots for innovative delivery systems that decrease costs and improve care.

Behavioral health is key to well-being. However, existing policies and payment systems often create barriers to treatment. We will advocate for policies that reduce barriers for individuals needing services, integrate behavioral health into primary care systems, and support evidence-based interventions.

Alliance for a Healthy Kansas

More than 150,000 Kansans fall into a health coverage gap. They earn too much to qualify for KanCare but not enough to be eligible to get financial help to buy private insurance. These are hard working men and women who are left with few options for affordable health coverage. To close that gap, a diverse coalition of over 100 business, civic, and health care organizations from across the state have come together to form the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas and advocate to expand KanCare. The Alliance is collaborative effort supported by the Health Fund and our philanthropic partners in Kansas.

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Cover Kansas

The Cover Kansas Coalition is a statewide group of community partners whose mission is to build awareness, facilitate enrollment, and promote health insurance literacy through collaboration, education, and engagement in an effort to reduce the rate of uninsured in Kansas. The Health Fund supports the work of Cover Kansas, and partners with them on increasing health insurance literacy in our state.

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