Sports: High school practices begin See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Monday, August 18, 2014
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Kids carry price tags WASHINGTON (AP) — A child born in 2013 will cost a middle-income American family an average of $245,340 until he or she becomes an adult, with families living in the Northeast
taking on a greater burden, according to a report out today. Those costs — food, housing, childcare and educaSee PRICE | Page A4
Gearing up for school costs The National Retail Federation expects the average U.S. household with a school-age child to spend just under $670 to buy school supplies for the coming school year.
Dozens of people crowd the picnic tables at the USD 258 Sports Complex for Family Fun Night on Friday. The evening was cool and cloudy, which made playing outdoor games more comfortable. REGISTER/KAREN INGRAM
PLANNED BACK-TO-SCHOOL SPENDING
Families flock to Fun Night
$1,000
By KAREN INGRAM The Iola Register
HUMBOLDT — A swarm of activity buzzed around the USD 258 Sports Complex Friday. Dozens of families milled around, enjoying free hot dogs and playing games. Everywhere, there were parents carrying plastic bags full of free school supplies.
Darcie Croisant, president and director of the Humboldt Recreation Commission, deemed the Family Fun Night a great success. “Everything’s been smooth. Parents have been very appreciative,” she said. The free school supplies, donated by local businesses to help area families, were given to every child in the school district. Even for
families who don’t normally have trouble making ends meet, the amount of money spent on school supplies can be daunting, especially those with several children. Samantha Rinehart, Humboldt resident, has two daughters starting fifth and eighth grade this year. She estimated that she spent
By household (among households with a school-age child), survey conducted in July of each year
2014:
$669.28
$800 $600 $400 $200 0
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Source: Consumer survey, National Retail Federation Graphic: Chicago Tribune
2012
2013
2014 © 2014 MCT
See FUN | Page A4
New program bridges link between physical, mental health By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Far too often, a Medicaid recipient’s mental health affects his physical health, Nathan Fawson said, just as much as his physical health affects his mental state. “To try and separate the two is a disservice to the individual,” said Fawson, associate executive director at Southeast Mental Health Center, which has opened Kansas Wellness, a newly developed Health Home program that serves Allen and five other counties in the area. The Health Home program began statewide July 1, and is designed to integrate and coordinate all types of services and support for Medicaid beneficiaries suffering from long-term serious mental health conditions. The program does not replace existing care services, but rather serves as an extra source for both mental health and physical health physicians, explained Holly Jerome, SEK Wellness program manager.
The goal is to reduce Medicaid spending by guiding the member to the appropriate level of care. — Holly Jerome, director, Southeast Kansas Wellness
“The overall goal is to reduce Medicaid spending by guiding the member to the appropriate level of care,” Jerome said. “We want to offer them preventable treatment options.” Fawson gave an example. Say a Medicaid recipient knows he should go to the doctor but declines to do so for whatever reason, putting off treatment until it becomes an emergency. “Since they haven’t established a connection with a primary care physician, where do they go?” Fawson asked. See GAPS | Page A4
Southeast Kansas Wellness provides myriad services to Medicaid patients who require treatment for a vast array of mental or physical health care needs. Administering the program is Holly Jerome, seated, and her staff, standing from left, Rhonda McGraw, Nathan Fawson, Jessica Atherton, Jamie Henderson, Julie Dillman and Mark Weeks. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Group claims insurance discrimination in new forms By RICARDO ALONS-ZALDIVAR The Associated Press
Automotive excellence
Iola Mayor Joel Wicoff, left, and City Councilwoman Sandy Zornes were guest judges Saturday at the Haunt For Hirschprung’s Car Show in downtown Iola. Passersby were treated to a wide assortment of gleaming beauties parked along West Street. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Quote of the day Vol. 116, No. 206
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ending insurance discrimination against the sick was a central goal of the nation’s health care overhaul, but leading patient groups say that promise is being undermined by new barriers from insurers. The insurance industry responds that critics are confusing legitimate cost-control with bias. Some state regulators, however, say there’s reason to be concerned about poli-
“I used to be indecisive but now I am not quite sure.” — Tommy Cooper, British comedian 75 Cents
cies that shift costs to patients and narrow their choices of hospitals and doctors. With open enrollment for 2015 three months away, the Obama administration is being pressed to enforce the Affordable Care Act’s anti-discrimination provisions. Some regulations have been issued; others are pending after more than four years. More than 300 patient advocacy groups recently wrote Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Mathews See ACA | Page A4
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