A driver’s foot slipped onto the gas pedal just before a collision at 5:35 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6, on an I-435 ramp to Holliday Drive, according to a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper’s report.
A Kansas Highway Patrol trooper’s report stated that two vehicles were stopped at a stop sign at the bottom of the ram p to Holliday Drive off northbound I-435 when the collision occurred.
The driver of the GMC Sierra 1500, a 39-year-old Shawnee, Kansas, man, rear-ended a Honda Civic driven by a 55-year-old Shawnee, Kansas, woman.
The driver of the GMC Sierra was not injured in the collision, however, the driver of the Honda Civic had a possible injury and was taken to a hospital, according to the trooper’s report.
A proposed telemedicine bill has Kansas medical providers pushing for a new chance to make their services eligible for reimbursement.
Under the House bill, introduced last month, licensed mental health care professionals and physicians can tend to faraway patients over phone or video calls. Insurers would have to cover their services as if they had seen patients in person.
Groups representing chiropractors, occupational therapists, nurses and other health professionals made their case for inclusion before the House Health and Human Services Committee on Monday.
“Reimbursement for these essential services not only increases access for Kansans, but keeps money within our state,” said Allison Gatewood of the Kansas Speech-Language-Hearing Association.
Insurers, telemedicine providers and medical professionals have backed the bill, which they see as filling crucial gaps in available health services around the state, particularly in rural areas.
Opposition to the bill has come mostly from abortion rights groups, who object to a provision prohibiting abortion services over telemedicine.
“It’s disappointing to see because it’s otherwise a great bill that could expand access to a lot of other health care services,” said Rachel Sweet, who testified against the bill for Planned Parenthood Great Plains.
Kansas law already requires that women receiving a drug-induced abortion take it in the physical presence of the doctor who provided it.
Anti-abortion organization Kansans for Life would like to push that language further. The organization wants lawmakers to add a clause that would invalidate the entire bill if any provision of it were found unconstitutional by court order.
“I understand that there are some legitimate health services that are necessary under a telemedicine bill, but not at the expense of women and their babies being put at risk,” said Kansans for Life lobbyist Jeanne Gawdun.
Madeline Fox is a reporter for the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio covering health, education and politics. You can reach her on Twitter @maddycfox. Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished at no cost with proper attribution and a link back to the original post.
National Weather Service graphic
The temperature was 17 degrees at 9 a.m. Wednesday, with a wind chill of 8, according to the National Weather Service.
The mercury is expected to rise to about 30 degrees today in Wyandotte County, with temperatures continuing their climb to the 40s on Thursday, the weather service said.
A cold front is expected to push through on Friday, keeping the northern half of the region below freezing, while the southern half stays in the 40s, according to the weather service. In Wyandotte County, Friday’s predicted high will be 37 degrees. Snow is possible on Saturday.
Today, it will be mostly sunny with a high near 30, the weather service said. A north northwest wind of 5 to 8 mph will become calm in the afternoon.
Tonight, the low will be around 17 with partly cloudy skies, according to the weather service. A calm wind will become south 5 to 8 mph after midnight.
Thursday, look for mostly sunny skies with a high near 46, and a south southwest wind of 5 to 8 mph, the weather service said.
Thursday night, the low will be around 29 with mostly cloudy skies and a south southwest wind of 5 to 7 mph, according to the weather service.
Friday, it will be mostly cloudy with a high near 37, and a southwest wind of 5 to 10 mph, becoming north northeast in the afternoon, the weather service said.
Friday night, there is a 30 percent chance of snow after midnight, with a low of 18, according to the weather service.
Saturday, there is a 50 percent chance of snow with a high near 23, the weather service said.
Saturday night, the chance of snow increases to 60 percent, mainly before midnight, with a low of 10, according to the weather service.
Sunday, it will be mostly sunny with a high near 28, the weather service said.
Sunday night, the low will be around 16 with partly cloudy skies, according to the weather service.
Monday, the high will be near 44 with mostly sunny skies, the weather service said.
Monday night, the low will be around 28 with partly cloudy skies, according to the weather service.
Tuesday, there is a 30 percent chance of rain and snow with a high near 43, the weather service said.
