• House recesses until after Nov. 7 election
• CMS: McClellan leaving, Norwalk named acting administrator
• HHS: Medicare announces 2007 plan choices
• Dr. Scott Weir testifies before economic development committee
• Information Available Regarding November 7 General Election
House recesses until after Nov. 7 election
The U.S. House and U.S. Senate have recessed until after the November 7 general election. Members of Congress will be in their home districts, campaigning and meeting with constituents.
CMS: McClellan leaving, Norwalk named acting administrator
On September 5, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Mark McClellan announced his resignation. On October 15, Deputy Administrator Leslie Norwalk will take over as Acting Administrator. Filling Norwalk’s position as Acting Deputy Administrator will be Herb Kuhn, currently the Director of the Center for Medicare Management.
HHS: Medicare announces 2007 plan choices
On September 29, Medicare announced that if seniors are satisfied with their Part D prescription drug coverage, they do not need to take any action during this year’s open enrollment period. Those seniors who are wanting to change plans have information available on plan changes, new plans, and enhanced benefits.
Excerpt from the HHS press release:
“The monthly premium beneficiaries will pay in 2007 will average $24 if they stay in their current plan -- about the same as in 2006. While some people will see an increase in their current plan premiums, they have the option to switch plans. Nationally, 83 percent of beneficiaries will have access to plans with premiums lower than they are paying this year, and beneficiaries will also have access to plans with premiums of less than $20 a month.
“Beneficiaries will have more plan options that offer enhanced coverage, including zero deductibles and coverage in the gap for both generics and preferred brand name drugs. Plans are adding drugs to their formularies. Nationwide the average number of drugs included on a plan formulary will increase by approximately 13 percent, and plans will also use utilization management tools at a lower rate.”
The full press release is available at: http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2006pres/20060929.html
Dr. Scott Weir testifies before economic development committee
On Thursday, September 14, Dr. Scott Weir, Director of the KU Office of Therapeutics, Discovery, and Development testified before the Joint Committee on Economic Development in Topeka. Dr. Weir discussed the importance of animal research, particularly its usefulness in finding cures and treatments for human diseases.
The Joint Committee heard testimony from not only KU, but also the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Kansas State University, the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute, and Bayer Animal Health, all of whom are working on the Animal Health Corridor project. The Corridor stretches from Manhattan, KS, to Columbia, MO, and aims to grow and enhance the 116 animal health companies already in the area by expanding research and translating that research into innovative products and services.
Information available for November 7 general election
In the November 7 general election, the following offices in Kansas are up for election or re-election:
• All 4 U.S. Representatives
• Governor and Lt. Governor
• Secretary of State
• Attorney General
• State Treasurer
• Commissioner of Insurance
• All 125 Kansas House Members
• State Board of Education (Districts 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9)
• 2 Kansas Supreme Court Justices
• 9 Kansas Court of Appeals Judges
• District Court Judges
• District Magistrate Judges
In the general election in Missouri, the following offices are up for election or re-election:
• 1 U.S. Senator
• 9 U.S. Representatives
• State Auditor
• 163 State Representatives
• 17 State Senators (even-numbered districts)
• Various judges
Further information is available on the websites below.
Kansas Secretary of State’s page on upcoming elections:
http://www.kssos.org/elections/elections_upcoming.html
Missouri Secretary of State's page on upcoming elections:
http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/upcomingElections.asp
Find Your Legislator by Either Address or Map via the Kansas Legislature’s Website:
http://www.kslegislature.org/legsrv-legisportal/redistricting.do
Find Your Legislator by Address via the KU Policy Research Institute:
http://www.ipsr.ku.edu/ksdata/vote/
Find Your Missouri Legislators:
http://www.senate.mo.gov/llookup/leg_lookup.aspx
Also of interest is a ballot initiative regarding stem cell research that will be on Missouri voters’ ballots in November. The official wording of the ballot initiative is available at:
http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/2006ballot/
©
The University of Kansas Medical Center
