Policy Alignment Team
The Policy Alignment Team is a group of people representing organizations from across Kansas’s Medicaid system. This group will help develop recommendations for Conflict-Free Kansas.
What is the Policy Alignment Team (PAT)?
KDADS assembled the Policy Alignment Team (PAT) to help eliminate conflicts-of-interest in Kansas’s HCBS system. It’s made up of representatives from advocate organizations, providers, CDDOs, and MCOs. Together, this group will work with KDADS to develop the plan for coming into compliance with CMS rules on conflicts-of-interest. These changes will help protect Kansas’s federal Medicaid funding and help ensure Kansans receive the right services for their specific needs.
The PAT started meeting weekly in mid-September 2025.
Have a Question or Comment for the PAT?
Do you have something you want the PAT to talk about or consider at their next meeting? Email it to us and we will add it to the agenda for a future meeting.
Members of the PAT
In the table below, you can see the names, email addresses, affiliations, and who they represent for all members of the PAT. You can email them with questions or feedback you have for the PAT. Pick the the most relevant PAT member for your topic.
| Name | Affiliation | Representing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Burgess | Disability Rights Center of Kansas | mike@drckansas.org | People Receiving Services |
| Angie Reinking | Self Advocate Coalition of Kansas | areinking@thearcdcks.org | People Receiving Services |
| Shane Lewis | Self Advocate Coalition of Kansas | shanel@sackonline.org | People Receiving Services |
| Sara Hart Weir and Whit Downing | Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities | sara@kcdd.org | People Receiving Services |
| Ramona Macek | Capper Foundation | rmacek@capper.org | Providers |
| Sheila McKinley | Disability Supports of the Great Plains | sheila@dsgp.org | Providers |
| Tracy Price | Lakemary | Tracy.Price@lakemary.org | Providers |
| Rachel Neumann | COF Training Services | rneumann@cofts.org | Providers |
| Liz Holle | Big Lakes | lholle@biglakes.org | Providers |
| Meghan Shreve | InterHab | mshreve@interhab.org | Providers |
| Steve Sandoval | Southwest Developmental Services, Inc. | ssandoval@sdsicddo.com | CDDOs |
| Mieke Hoeffner | Disability Planning Organization of Kansas | Miekeh@dpok.com | CDDOs |
| Shelia Nelson-Stout | OCCK, Inc. | nelsonsh@occk.com | Providers/CDDOs |
| Sarah Pearson | Hetlinger | cddo.spearson@hetlinger.org | Providers/CDDOs |
| Courtney Fitzgerald | Johnson County Developmental Supports | Courtney.Fitzgerald@jocogov.org | Providers/CDDOs |
| Jerry Michaud | Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas | jerry_michaud@mydsnwk.org | Providers/CDDOs |
| Vonda Bankston | Healthy Blue | vonda.bankston@healthybluekansas.com | MCOs |
| Nan Perrin | Sunflower | nanette.l.perrin@sunflowerhealthplan.com | MCOs |
| Gerald Snell | United Health | gerald.l.snell@uhc.comm | MCOs |
Materials from PAT Meetings
October 7, 2025
PAT members reviewed safeguards that CMS requires in their guidance on addressing conflicts of interest. These safeguards include full disclose for participants on their options, a process for disputing exceptions, and administrative separations between plan development and direct service functions.
September 30, 2025
PAT members reviewed and discussed the draft questions for the Only Willing and Qualified Provider (OWQP) exception to deliver conflicted services.
September 23, 2025
As part of this meeting, PAT members discussed policy decisions and PAT feedback around issues including funding to help CDDOs complete required applications, a legacy clause for individuals receiving services from conflict providers, and how a conflict-of-interest policy could affect in-person support.
September 16, 2025
During the first PAT meeting, the group discussed their goals for the PAT and Conflict-Free Kansas, federal conflict-of-interest requirements, and guidelines for potential exceptions for providers.
