Medicaid expansion update
“We are one of ten states in the country that hasn't adopted a Medicaid expansion program, all because of the supermajorities in our state Legislature. In a political play, we've missed out on millions of dollars in revenue and thousands of job opportunities for Kansans – all while hundreds of thousands of Kansans go uninsured.” — Gov. Laura Kelly, March 30, 2024
By Harriet Bachner
Even after hundreds of Kansans rallied at the State House on March 6, joint hearings in the Kansas House and Senate on March 20 with over 400 proponents and only 12 opposing, and 450 written testimonies submitted to the House and 463 to the Senate, SB 355 and HB 2556 remain in committee, although still active, but failed to advance from committee. “Of the 17 members of the committee, only the five Democrats raised their hands in support. (Rep. Brenda) Landwehr didn't make the 12 Republicans raise their hands to show their opposition, despite an objection from a Democrat” (Jason Alatidd, Topeka Capital-Journal, March 22, 2024). See the news report on the legislative meeting and watch Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins, Executive Director of Alliance for a Healthy Kansas April Holman, and political analyst Bob Beatty discuss the issues involved in expansion: What's next after Medicaid Expansion setback at statehouse? (ksnt.com). April Holman very clearly describes the needs addressed, in contrast to Dan Hawkins’ discussion.
The Alliance for Healthy Kansas (AHK), a nonpartisan group, has worked on behalf of advancing this call for Medicaid expansion. AHK has found that 90 percent of Democrats, 74 percent of undeclared (independents) and 61 percent of Republicans support expansion, while 80 percent of Democrats and independents believe that lawmakers are out of touch with the needs of Kansans regarding health care disparities. Seventy percent of adults who are in the coverage gap (income too high to qualify for Medicaid and insufficient to afford health care through the Affordable Care Act) work two or three jobs that do not offer healthcare.
At a March 27 zoom meeting of the AHK, some suggestions were made regarding what actions we can take to continue to advance Medicaid expansion and keep in front of our legislators. These include: writing letters about the need for Medicaid expansion to local newspapers and to legislators; taking five minutes to reach out to at least five friends (5 for 5) about expansion; and checking out the new resources on the AHK’s website to stay informed about expansion: Alliance for a Healthy Kansas 2022 | KANCARE Expansion is good for Kansas (expandkancare.com)
More information can be found on this link: Governor Kelly's Bipartisan Medicaid Expansion Proposal Receives Hearing for the First Time in Four Years - Governor of the State of Kansas
