By Lauren Weber | Sept. 6, 2019 TOPEKA, Kan. — This was supposed to be the year Medicaid expansion finally happened in Kansas. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, elected in November, had run on the issue. She triumphed in a state that had gone for Trump in 2016 by more than 20 percentage points and replaced […]

By Tim Carpenter | Sept. 4, 2019 Gov. Laura Kelly pressed ahead with a central campaign theme Wednesday by directing a council to study the Medicaid expansion experience of three dozen other states and prepare a best-practices outline for use during the 2020 session of the Kansas Legislature. The 22-member council includes Rep. Jason Probst, […]

During the 2019 legislative session more than 80 health-related bills were introduced, including more than a dozen child-welfare bills, but few progressed beyond the committee of origin. Even so, many important changes to health policy were enacted. This legislative recap examines some of the key health-related bills that were considered. It also includes a table […]

By Sheldon Weisgrau | Aug. 20, 2019 In response to recent episodes of gun violence, some Kansas legislators have called for an expansion of mental health services in the state. Although a link between mass shootings and mental illness has not been established, we agree that there is a dire need to enhance the behavioral […]