LAST WEEK, President Barack Obama heaped praise on Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius when he announced her appointment as the next Health and Human Services secretary.
As the HHS secretary, she will be charged with coordinating Obama’s health-care reform agenda. Since the president has made health-care reform a top priority, her work will receive plenty of attention.
Obama said, “If we are going to help families, save businesses and improve the long-term economic health of our nation, we must realize that fixing what’s wrong with our health-care system is no longer just a moral imperative, but a fiscal imperative,”
Fixing the medical mess is a tremendous task and many are wondering whether the Kansas governor is the right person for the job.
As a former Kansas insurance commissioner, Sebelius understands how the insurance system works. As a governor, she understands the intricacies of running a large organization, and as a Democratic governor in a Republican state, she understand politics.
How those skills will translate to Washington and what success she will have, only time will tell.
During Sebelius’s terms as insurance commissioner and governor, many Kansans didn’t see much change in the health-care situation. Oh, there were changes — improved health insurance for Kansas children, greater state support for community health centers and creation of the Kansas Health Policy Authority to develop a comprehensive state health plan.
Unfortunately, most Kansans have only seen the cost of health insurance and health care climb. For The Gazette, as for other small businesses, the rising cost of health insurance has made health care unaffordable for many of our employees. And choices in health insurance are limited. There has been no dramatic increase in the number of companies offering competitive health insurance plans in Kansas.
We can only hope that the reason that Kansans have not seen more changes in health care in the state is that the problems were beyond the governor’s and the state’s control and must be fixed in Washington.
Let’s hope that with Sebelius working with the president to fix the health-care system we will start to see some real changes.
Christopher White Walker
Editor & Publisher
pizza (anonymous) says...
Reminds me of the blind leading the blind. Neither has a clue.
March 11, 2009 at 6:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
znasr (anonymous) says...
I'm thrilled to see Kansas represented nationally in a way that is--finally!--something to be proud of.
March 11, 2009 at 7:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oh4theluvof (anonymous) says...
Good try with the optimism, Chris. I hope your right, but I have to seriously doubt it.
March 11, 2009 at 10:20 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
trbluma (anonymous) says...
If you think Sebelius and Barry are going to fix anything you are goofy. I only wish I could tell you what I really think, but you can't have a battle of wits with an unarmed person.
March 12, 2009 at 8:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
Kansas was already represented pretty well nationally.
Dust in the wind
Wayward Son
Hello! They were/are a great band!
March 13, 2009 at 10:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
9999 (anonymous) says...
Hey Kansan's, get with the program. I'm a fellow Jayhawker who lives in another state now. I also work in health care and am a Democrat not that that makes a difference. But come on, first give Obama a chance to do what he needs to, Bush really screwed us over the last eight so what's a few more months going to hurt! I have talked to some people from other "socialistic" countries who offer free medical care and they can't figure out why the US doesn't. Really the only ones who don't want this to occur are the ones who are making money off of "your" backs. In the past AMA was dead set against this because the DR's wouldn't make much, not including all the pharmaceuticals and etc. The mark up on the equipment, supplies, and so forth needed to do the job are inflated way beyond what they need to be. With socialistic type medicine money will not be as much a factor in your care. I watched my mother die due to no health care. Do you know how many people are cared for at the expense of you and I with taxes and increased health insurance to cover the uninsured? Exactly, we are already socialtistic even if you don't want to admit it. Let's see what happens, it can't hurt anymore than it already has.
March 14, 2009 at 7:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
"Bush really screwed us over the last eight "
Anyone who believes that one individual caused all our current problems is delusional.
Anyone that believes in "free medical care" is also delusional.
No single individual has enough power to single handedly screw things up this bad.
Nothing in life is free.
These are facts.
March 14, 2009 at 8:01 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
9999 (anonymous) says...
No, you are right about free health care, I was mistaken to say "free" because people in other countries do pay taxes but if it all was calculated out it would be about the same as we pay altogether now and no one would be left to die without. And no it wasn't just Bush who screwed us over, poor sap was just used by his daddy and bad ass Cheney!!!! And on the health care situation, go rent the movie "sicko". You may say it was made by someone who doesn't his --- from the hole in the ground but people on the front lines, ie health care professionals know this issss how it is. That is a fact!
March 14, 2009 at 8:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
9999 (anonymous) says...
Oh and by the way seriouslyfolks, it is known that for years "socialism" has been feed to us in a fear factor way to the point no one is open to some of it's positives, not to say all is positive but that is what we use our brains for. This is one reason I voted for Obama because he was the only one on the ticket with any brain cells and who doesn't react in a knee jerk way like some. Common sense should prevail so I say let those in charge at least try to make things better, if people don't agree with what is going on then the current administration will be voted out and you can have a try again for your "guy".
March 14, 2009 at 8:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
I'd say that the Democrats not listening to the fact that Freddie and Fannie needed some regulation has a lot to do with our current problems. There is plenty of blame to go around in both of the parties that people recognize. I can easily say that as someone who voted for a third party candidate. You see I am not blinded by party loyalty.
March 14, 2009 at 8:31 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
9999 (anonymous) says...
Good job seriouslyfolks! I do think more people should weigh the facts before voting so it is a good thing that party loyalty does not influence you. More need to be that way and maybe there will be changes made that are for the better. We can only hope that people speak up and speak out about what we think is wrong and what is right because so far only money seems to talk and that has only got us into trouble. As a person who believes in God I feel he has had to knock us to our knees for us to listen to what we know is right. Sometimes he has to hit us with a big stick for us to pay attention to him, I hope he has our attention now!
March 16, 2009 at 11:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )