Alliance for a Healthy Kansas Statement on US House’s Passage of AHCA

Statement of David Jordan, Executive Director of the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, on the U.S. House of Representatives vote to replace the Affordable Care Act with the American Health Care Act

The U.S. House, with the support of all four representatives from Kansas, voted today to raise health care costs on older Kansans and Kansans with pre-existing conditions.

Their support for the American Health Care Act is an endorsement for cutting $1 billion out of the KanCare program over the next decade. The cuts will make it more difficult for Kansas to provide health care to our most vulnerable neighbors and will strain our state budget. Ultimately, the cuts to KanCare, which are part of $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid nationally, were made to give a tax cut to the wealthiest Americans at the expense of hardworking Kansans.

Perhaps most shocking is that Kansas’ congressional delegation voted to take away the power of the Kansas legislature to expand KanCare – a measure that enjoys the broad support of Kansans and Kansas legislators – and bring our federal tax dollars back home.

Fortunately, the U.S. Senate must pass this bill before it becomes law. It is now more important than ever for the Kansas legislature to move quickly to protect Kansans’ interests and expand KanCare.