State Sovereignty: We need co-sponsors for the Kansas Health Care Freedom Amendment!

Dear Friends,

Thank you to for your support of the tenth amendment resolution. Now it's time to put our state sovereignty into action.

The latest news on the federal level is there will be an attempt to force a health care bill through a process known as "reconciliation."

In Kansas, we need to quickly act to introduce a Health Care Freedom Amendment. It will be much more than sending a message. If passed, it will be an amendment to the Kansas Constitution, acting to preserve the freedom of Kansans to provide for their health care without government coercion.

This is reason to take courage! We can make a difference.

You can read the entire proposed amendment here.

I have also appended the essence of the concurrent resolution below.

I am currently asking other Kansas State Senators to co-sponsor the concurrent resolution now. I must have their signature by Friday so they can show they support the bill before it gets introduced.

Once introduced, we will receive a number for the Health Care Freedom Amendment and you will be able to access it through the Kansas Legislature's website (www.kslegislature.org).

We should work to get at least 27 co-sponsors, because that's how many votes are needed to pass the bill. A proposed constitutional amendment requires two-thirds vote of each House to pass before it can be placed on the ballot for a vote of the people. So far we have 14 signatures.

Even if your senator has already given their signature, they need to hear from you so they know you support the amendment.

Ask them if they would help co-sponsor the Health Care Freedom Amendment.

State Rep. Peggy Mast is working to get signatures on the House side, so please contact your Kansas State Representative as well and ask them to co-sponsor the proposed legislation.

The Senate and House Health Committees are planning on having a joint hearing on the Health Care Freedom Amendment on Tuesday, Feb. 9, and the time is yet unknown, but will likely be around 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Hearings are held so citizens and lobbyists have the opportunity to testify, but first we need to get the signatures from the State Senators and the State Representatives.

Thank you for your help! In honor of your liberty,

Mary Pilcher Cook

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Article 16. — HEALTH CARE
1. Health care. (a) To preserve the freedom of Kansans to provide for their health care:
  1. A law or rule shall not compel, directly or indirectly, any person, employer or health care provider to participate in any health care system or purchase health insurance.
  2. A person or employer may pay directly for lawful health care services and shall not be required to pay penalties or fines for paying directly for lawful health care services.

    A health care provider may accept direct payment for lawful health care services and shall not be required to pay penalties or fines for accepting direct payment from a person or employer for lawful health care services.

(b) Subject to reasonable and necessary rules that do not substantially limit a person's options, the purchase or sale of health insurance in private health care systems shall not be prohibited by law or rule.

(c) This section does not:

  1. Affect which health care services a health care provider or hospital is required to perform or provide.
  2. Affect which health care services are permitted by law.
  3. Prohibit care provided pursuant to the provisions relating to workers compensation.
  4. Prohibit care provided pursuant to the provisions relating to state employee benefit programs.
  5. Affect laws or rules in effect as of August 1, 2009.
  6. Affect the terms or conditions of any health care system to the extent that those terms and conditions do not have the effect of punishing or penalizing a person or employer for paying directly for lawful health care services or a health care provider or hospital for accepting direct payment from a person or employer for lawful health care services.

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