By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
At their heart, political offices are about public service. Dinah Sykes, the Democratic candidate for Kansas Insurance Commissioner in the Nov. 3 general election, is bringing that mindset to a statewide race. A state senator for 10 years, Sykes prides herself on visiting all four corners of the state to meet constituents and hear about the problems they need help solving. One recurring problem is insurance, or a lack thereof.
“I never saw myself in politics,” Sykes said. “I was a mom who was trying to figure out why my kid’s elementary school hadn’t bought new library books in over five years. That caused me to walk 60 miles from Merriam to Topeka to raise awareness. Since 2015, I have been having monthly town halls. I show up every month for my constituents. I will continue that service even in a statewide race.”
As a state senator representing the Lenexa area near Kansas City, Sykes helped constituents navigate insurance denials, especially when policies should have covered those losses or procedures. She is now narrowing her scope of public service to holding insurance companies accountable.
“I had a constituent whose child had tried to commit suicide,” said Sykes. “They were trying to get behavioral health services. What they heard from insurance was, ‘Your child did not try hard enough to take their life, and we cannot help you.’ I think that is wrong. We need access to health care, auto, home, all of those things. That is why I’m running for insurance commissioner, to be a consumer advocate to look out for Kansans and not just look out for profits for insurance companies.”
Kansas is one of 11 states that elects an insurance commissioner. Sykes said the office does have the tools for change, including the ability to hold hearings to determine why insurance premiums are rising, the rates of denials, and how appeals are handled.
“Especially for our rural communities, where hospitals are trying to keep their doors open, we really need to dig into this and hold insurance companies accountable,” she said.
In July, Kansas enacted Senate Bill 20, also known as the Kansas Consumer Prescription Protection and Accountability Act. The law prohibits Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs), or middlemen who manage prescription drug benefits for health plans, from charging employers more for a drug than they actually pay the pharmacy. The law also includes a $10.50 dispensing fee in an effort to help local pharmacies remain open. Opponents call the fee a “pill tax” that may be passed along to consumers. Sykes calls it part of being a watchdog, not a lapdog, when it comes to looking out for Kansans.
“I have not taken a penny from insurance companies because I believe Kansans deserve to know that, when they come to my office, there is not going to be any conflict of interest,” she said. “My opponent has taken more than $150,000 from insurance companies and their PACs.”
Republican Vicki Schmidt has held the office of Kansas Insurance Commissioner since 2019, but is not seeking re-election. Sykes’ opposition includes Libertarian candidate Ric Koehn, and Republican Dan Hawkins, who has represented the Wichita area in the Kansas House since 2013.