At Rosanna Square, Thursday night was about free tacos, improv comedy and raising awareness of the high health care costs people are facing both in Kansas and nationwide.
The Alliance for a Healthy Kansas put on an event that’s part of a broader national movement called “One Nation, Overcharged” with the goal of getting people to think more about the systemic issues leading to rising prices in the medical industry.
Hosting this event at Clint’s Comedy Club in Overland Park is one way they’re trying to reach a new audience. The improv show at the club featured skits that had health care themes.
“The purpose is really to raise the issue of health care in our country and here in Kansas being too expensive for people to be able to afford the access that they need,” said April Holman, executive director of the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas.
Over the course of the summer, the organization has put on events in different parts of the state as part of this campaign, including a recent back-to-school fair in Wyandotte County.
Holman pointed to high levels of medical debt and the lack of Medicaid expansion as significant health care issues for Kansans.
“We also have a lot of people who are insured, but they have huge deductibles, copays and out-of-pocket expenses, and so it feels a little bit like they don’t have insurance,” she said. “Unless they have a catastrophic event, they are paying out of pocket every time they go to the doctor’s office.”
That’s a burden that weighs heavily on many, she said.
“It take a toll on families’ health — their financial health, their physical health. It’s a stressor that is kind of ever-present in the lives of many, many Kansans,” Holman said.
Amber Haq, of Overland Park, is a real estate agent, but she spent 17 years working in health care and was eager to support this event.
“For an average family, it’s almost impossible to navigate the cost,” Haq said. “Hopefully events like this can make people more aware of the options and choices that are out there.”
Below are some more photos from the event:
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