2021 Legislative Priorities

1.

KAFP supports the development of joint regulations on APRN licensure, discipline, regulation and scope of practice, between physicians with Board of Healing Arts and APRNs with the Board of Nursing. KAFP supports legislative and regulatory efforts to ensure that the term “doctor,” when used in the clinical setting, also includes the degree (i.e., MD, DO, DNP, DPT, PhD for psychologists, etc.) used to obtain licensure to practice. Furthermore, KAFP supports retention of the use of the word “physician” for only doctors of allopathic and osteopathic medicine.

2.

KAFP supports Medicaid expansion.

3.

KAFP supports public health efforts to increase immunization rates aligned with CDC recommendations and opposes further immunization exemptions.

4.

KAFP supports the continuation of the Healthcare Stabilization Fund believing that recent enhancements reflect the changing landscape of health care, malpractice liability claims and allows for additional protections for healthcare providers and the patients they serve.

5.

KAFP supports legislation achieving telehealth payment parity.

6.

KAFP supports legislation to limit the age of those able to purchase tobacco and vaping products to 21 years of ag and older. KAFP supports public health efforts to reduce smoking and tobacco use and to address opioid abuse and treatment.

7.

KAFP supports the Healthy People 2030 initiative and believes every Kansan has a right to social and physical environments that promote good health. We support initiatives addressing social determinants of health, racial disparity and health equity.

8.

KAFP supports legislation that ensures adequate payment for primary care services, including increasing the percentage of the overall health care spend in primary care, which has been proven to decrease the overall cost of healthcare.

9.

KAFP supports activities, programs and legislation to encourage physicians to practice in urban, rural and underserved areas, and to retain their services once established there. Furthermore, KAFP supports legislation to provide adequate funding for graduate and undergraduate medical education for family medicine, including full funding for the Kansas Medical Student Loan Program, the KU Scholars in Rural Health program and other initiatives encouraging students to enter family medicine.

10.

KAFP supports legislation to streamline prior authorizations and advancing electronic health records to reduce administrative delays and redundancy.

11.

KAFP supports legislation to protect environmental public health. This includes the preservation of clean air and water, the improvement of infra structure and the promotion of outdoor activity, which will reduce diseases such as asthma, lead poisoning and obesity.