Building the Foundation
Kentucky convened partners regularly, focusing on mutually agreed upon strategies to advance the colorectal cancer prevention. They focused particularly on Kentucky health care providers, public health initiatives and advocacy and formed a public/private partnership in which a private foundation matched the Governor’s budget allocation for colorectal cancer screening. Through this effort, they bolstered legislative changes to provide a colorectal cancer screening program for the uninsured and an insurance mandate to provide screening for insured patients that included reimbursement for `screening navigation. Stakeholders worked to strengthen the partnership with Medicaid (Office of Health Policy, Department for Public Health, Medicaid Commissioner) and developed a list of questions on how the ACA and Medicaid expansion would impact cancer prevention and control to inform the process . This partnership lead to increases in colorectal cancer screening services with more involvement of Medicaid staff. Part of these state-funded screening program adjustments that were augmented were increased reimbursement for colorectal cancer screening patient navigation. The policy makers in Kentucky recognized the value of colorectal cancer screening navigation and are continuing to fund this work. 2008 The Kentucky General Assembly enacted House Bill 415, codified into law as KRS 214.540-544. These statutes establish a statewide colon cancer screening program with an embedded Colonoscopy Patient Navigator Program with the goals of:
As part of KRS 214.544 , a Kentucky Colon Cancer Screening Advisory Committee (KCCSAC) provides recommendations for the overall implementation and conduct of the KCCSP. Currently, over 20 representatives from organizations addressing colon cancer and screening activities provide consultation and oversight for the public awareness program as well as offer indirect support of program development. Efforts to advance the three purposes of the screening and navigation program are incremental and can only be accomplished in partnership with others. Members of the advisory committee continue to develop innovative and grassroots projects to address colon cancer screening in Kentucky. 2010 In the Special Session, the General Assembly allocated $200,000 from coal severance funds (tax money on coal that has been sold) to support colon cancer prevention and screening efforts in four counties. 2012 During the Legislative Session, the general assembly allocated $1,000,000 over the biennium to address colon cancer screening of the uninsured. |
Below, Katie Bathje and Becki Thompson have provided extensive detail on the 'how to' in their states efforts
Patients and community involvement has been a powerful tool for Kentucky. Take a moment below to hear from those these statewide efforts have served.
Sharing the impact has made a considerable impression on law makers |