It’s great Children’s Mercy wants to help mental health. If only insurers would, too | Opinion
Outstretched hand
In Friday’s front-page story “Children’s Mercy unveils $275M plan for mental health crisis” about the program the hospital system has launched to help our community deal with kids’ mental health problems, I was dismayed to read that the hospital “will need $150 million in philanthropic money for the capital projects, program start-up costs, staff and to cover anticipated losses created when private insurers reimburse providers less for mental health services than other health care, a national problem.”
Let me clarify: It will seek large donors (private money) to keep its programs running because private insurers (corporate organizations) pay the providers less than the service actually costs and pocket the difference?
Isn’t what insurers are doing called extortion in other venues?
- Carol Watts, Overland Park
Everyone online
In today’s digital age, reliable internet access is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity. However, 28 million American households still lack high-speed internet, creating a digital divide that disproportionately affects low-income families, communities of color and rural areas.
The Affordable Connectivity Program is a federal program that can save the most vulnerable in our communities and across the country $30 a month on their internet bills, providing them with access to better job opportunities, education and more. Some providers offer plans for $30 or less, so with the program’s discount, they’re free.
Eligibility is as simple as being a participant in a program such as SNAP, Medicaid or federal Pell Grants, but nationwide, barely more than one-third of eligible households have enrolled. In the Kansas City area, enrollment rates range from 19% to 31%, according to the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Institute for Local Self-Reliance. During this Online for All Week of Action, we must do better to spread the word to those who must choose between bread and broadband.
Signing up for the Affordable Connectivity Program is simple: You can check to see if you’re eligible and apply online, then use your benefit for the internet plan of your choice. Go to getinternet.gov to get started.
- Leslie Scott, Digital Inclusion Program Manager, KC Digital Drive, Kansas City
Floating above
I have noticed an issue of disparity in recent nonprofit fundraising galas. Although these events’ intentions are noble, their structure appears to perpetuate a “white savior complex,” with a majority of donors who do not reflect the race or ethnicity of the beneficiaries.
This problem lies not in the demographics but in how the events are organized to showcase beneficiary gratitude, creating a spectacle that reinforces power imbalance.
This pattern across multiple nonprofit fundraisers prompts a critical examination of the ethics involved. Studies suggest these practices can disempower and objectify communities, exacerbating feelings of otherness. This spectacle seems to be considered necessary to spur donations, which is a notion we should reevaluate.
Instead, let’s shift the focus to fostering empathy and understanding. Encourage donors to connect deeply with the cause, beyond surface-level performances. Highlight beneficiaries’ stories, their challenges and the true impact of donations. Move away from spectacles and toward cultivating appreciation for diversity, fostering a sense of shared human experience.
Only through genuine empathy can we bridge societal gaps, promoting inclusivity and equity.
- Nicole Price, Kansas City
There’s a reason
The Royals must have feasibility research that shows Clay County would work as a location for a new stadium or the team would not have us in the finals. (June 15, 1A, “Inside the Royals’ faltering push for a downtown stadium”)
You all are going to love North Kansas City.
- David Slater, Executive director, Clay County Economic Development Council, Pleasant Valley