KANSAS CITY, KAN. ---- Wichita physician and former lieutenant governor candidate Josh Umbehr is scheduled to talk to a legislative committee Wednesday about integrating direct primary care into KanCare.

Josh Umbehr, who runs a direct primary care practice called Atlas MD, gleaned 4 percent of the vote in November while running on the Libertarian ticket with his father, Alma attorney Keen Umbehr.

Josh Umbehr used the campaign in part to tout the benefits of the direct primary care model in which family physicians avoid the complexities of fee-for-service insurance reimbursement by charging their patients an all-inclusive monthly membership fee instead.

He is set to speak to the Vision 2020 Committee, which has scheduled hearings on Medicaid reform. Josh Umbehr and his father also have been trying to connect with members of Gov. Sam Brownbacks administration to talk about incorporating the direct primary care model into KanCare, the states $3 billion privatized Medicaid program.

We have had limited talks about KanCare but would like to explore it further and talk with Lt. Gov. (Jeff Colyer) about it in more detail, Josh Umbehr said.

Keen Umbehr said recently that he and his son already met with former Brownback administration official Steve Anderson to discuss their idea.

Anderson, Brownbacks former budget director, is now an analyst for the Kansas Policy Institute, a conservative think tank. Keen Umbehr said Anderson suggested he and his son propose a pilot project with 1,000 Wichita-area Medicaid recipients.

Anderson also said he would contact Colyer, who has been the governors point man on KanCare, about the idea.

Eileen Hawley, a spokeswoman for Brownback, said she is unaware of any dialogue between Mr. Umbehr and the Administration.

Hawley said primary care under KanCare already is working well and keeping more Medicaid patients out of emergency rooms. According to the Direct Primary Care Coalition, other states have worked direct primary care practices into their Medicaid systems. They include Washington state.

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