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TUESDAY • NOVEMBER 4 • 2014
JAYHAWKS TAKE THE FLOOR
Uncertainty remains in Sen. Roberts, Orman race By Thomas Beaumont and John Hanna Associated Press
Topeka — Despite eight weeks of intensive work and millions in advertising, Sen. Pat Roberts enters Election Day no surer of his re-election than when national Republican Party operatives ordered a reboot of the veteran senator’s campaign in September. On the final day of the campaign, Roberts was unable to shake the threat of independent Greg Orman despite the campaign reboot, which included bringing in new staff and an aggressive campaign schedule. The incumbent won a competitive but bruising Republican primary in August, but Orman emerged as a serious threat after
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Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo
KANSAS UNIVERSITY FRESHMAN KELLY OUBRE PUMPS HIS FIST AS HE AND THE JAYHAWKS enter the court prior to their exhibition opener against the Washburn University Ichabods on Monday at Allen Fieldhouse. KU won, 85-53. For more about the game, please see Sports, Pages 1C, 4C and 5C.
Please see SENATE, page 6A
Some upset by Enrollment growth in Kansas Medicaid slow mailer intended to boost turnout KANCARE
Topeka (ap) — Enrollment in Medicaid grew at an extremely low rate in Kansas last year and health officials say the reasons aren’t clear. The Kansas Health Institute reports Medicaid enrollment in Kansas grew by 0.1 percent from 2012 to 2013. The normal yearly growth rate is about 3 percent, which reflects population growth and normal turnover of families becoming eligible or dropping out of Medicaid, Last year, Medicaid changed to a program called KanCare that is managed by three private companies. However, that transition
did not appear to effect en- and about 6 percent in 2012. rollment because it didn’t The report attributed the change eligibility require- high increase in 2011 to difments, said Scott Brunner, ferent enrollment procesenior analyst for the KHI. dures and clearing a backlog About 61,286 children of applications. were enrolled in the Laura Hopkins, the Children’s Health Inpresident of Amerisurance Program in group Kansas, one Kansas in 2013, and of the three private 225,116 children and companies managfamilies were enrolled ing KanCare, said in in Medicaid. Another a statement it was HEALTH 103,364 people were too early to conclude enrolled in Medicaid why the enrollment programs for the disabled was down. and low-income senior citi“Changes in membership zens, the KHI said. are often cyclical, and with The number of Kansans only 18 months of comcovered by Medicaid grew pleted data, it may be too by about 8 percent in 2010, early to determine what the close to 21 percent in 2011 long-term enrollment will
INSIDE
Mostly cloudy Business Classified Comics Deaths
High: 59
Low: 32
Today’s forecast, page 6A
be,” she said. “Anecdotally, we receive very favorable feedback from our members and believe that has a positive effect on our retention rates.” The improving economy might be a factor in the lower enrollment numbers, Brunner said. “It’s probably a mixed bag” of causes, he said. “We do believe economic conditions made a difference to some degree.” This could be simply an unusual year and this year’s numbers will help determine if lower enrollments will become a trend and if so, may shed light on the reasons, Brunner said.
2A 6C-10C 4B 2A
Events listings Horoscope Health Opinion
2A, 2C Puzzles 3B Sports 1B-2B Television 5A
3B 1C-5C 6A, 2C
By Peter Hancock Twitter: @LJWpqhancock
A postcard sent out recently by the Kansas Democratic Party that was intended to boost voter turnout has instead caused some voters to complain about an invasion of privacy. “Responsible citizens vote and people are watching to ensure that you do your duty,” the postcard reads. It goes on to explain that while a person’s choices on the ballot are secret, the fact that a person did or didn’t vote is a matter of public record. And to drive that point home, it lists the names of some of the recipients’ neighbors,
Slowing economy
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Please see MAILER, page 6A
Vol.156/No.308 20 pages
The economy likely will slow to a crawl in nine Midwestern and Plains states in the months ahead, according to an economic survey. Page 3A
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