For many years, the nation has been on a positive trajectory reducing the number and rate of uninsured children. Having health insurance is important for children as they are more likely to receive needed services, have better educational outcomes, and their family is protected from the financial risks associated with being uninsured—even for a short […]

By Jim McLean | Oct. 28, 2019 ANTHONY, Kansas — Few things signal a rural community’s decline more powerfully than the closure of its hospital. Like shuttered schools and empty Main Streets, an abandoned hospital serves as a tangible reminder of the erosive power of decades of population loss and unrelenting economic trends. “Our rural […]

Oct. 24, 2019 After years spent opposing past efforts to expand Medicaid, Kansas Senate Republican Leader Jim Denning now has a plan of his own. But the Johnson County lawmaker’s proposal drew tough reviews from both Democrats and members of his own party. Denning unveiled a plan Wednesday that could ultimately extend health coverage to […]

Oct. 24, 2019 A top Republican in the Kansas Senate said he’s designed a Medicaid expansion plan that aims to walk a fine line — one that can win over conservatives without losing support from moderate Republicans and Democrats. But the proposal also risks satisfying neither faction. Republican Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning outlined a […]

By Sheldon Weisgrau | Oct. 21, 2019 After years of inaction, a Senate committee will finally take up the most urgent health policy issue in Kansas: the expansion of the Medicaid (KanCare) program. The Senate Select Committee on Healthcare Access will meet on October 22-23 to consider an expansion plan developed by Senate Majority Leader […]

By Gov. Laura Kelly | Oct. 19, 2019 In the coming weeks, Kansas lawmakers will begin a renewed conversation about expanding Medicaid coverage in Kansas. I have been clear that Medicaid expansion will be my No. 1 priority in 2020. If we take the right approach, expansion will provide access to health care for roughly […]

By Brad Cooper | Oct. 11, 2019 The Senate plan to expand Medicaid is starting to fall into place, giving supporters hope that 2020 will be the year the Legislature extends medical coverage to an estimated 150,000 Kansans. Led by Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning, the Senate has been crafting its own version of an […]

Oct. 1, 2019 Governor Laura Kelly’s call for a bipartisan, Kansas-specific plan to expand Medicaid coverage took an important step forward Monday with the first meeting of the Governor’s Council on Medicaid Expansion. “Many Kansans struggle to cover the costs of basic health care. Some people can’t afford coverage at all. The status quo is […]

“You need to take care of your people in the gap. I think there needs to be something for them that they can afford. I mean that’s your middle class workers. Those are your single moms that are working their butt off trying to stay out of the system to take care of their families, […]