Topeka Capital Journal: Expanding Medicaid would enable treatment for mental health illness and ease burden on law enforcement

By Brandon R. Davis and David Jordan | Feb. 13, 2021 County jails and state prisons have become the largest providers of mental health services in the state, and community police departments have become de facto behavioral health providers, even though the majority of them are not trained in this area. Using law enforcement professionals […]

Kansas Reflector: Billions of dollars for Medicaid expansion dangled in front of holdout states

By Daniel C. Vock | Feb. 10, 2021 WASHINGTON — U.S. House Democrats are trying again to entice a dozen holdout states — including Kansas — to expand Medicaid coverage with the prospect of billions of dollars in federal cash. The new offer, included in a massive $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package that House Democrats […]

Health Provisions in House Relief Bill Would Improve Access to Health Coverage During COVID Crisis

By Center on Budget and Policy Priorities | Feb. 10, 2021 COVID-19 relief legislation that House committees are considering includes several vital provisions that would make comprehensive coverage more affordable and accessible for millions of people. The legislation would enhance premium tax credits available through the health insurance marketplaces for two years, boost financial incentives […]

Kansas Reflector: Rural Kansas superintendent makes personal plea for Medicaid expansion

By Sherman Smith | Feb. 1, 2021 TOPEKA — For Rex Bruce, the prospect of Medicaid expansion is personal. The superintendent for the Sublette school district has stage four prostate cancer, and his wife suffers from anaphylaxis shock, which causes her throat to shut off. There are times they would have died if they didn’t […]

Kansas Reflector: Governor seeks to pay for Medicaid expansion in Kansas by legalizing medicinal marijuana

By Tim Carpenter | Feb. 1, 2021 OVERLAND PARK — Gov. Laura Kelly shook up debate about Medicaid expansion in Kansas by proposing Monday the state finance extending health care to as many as 165,000 low-income Kansans with revenue from legalizing medicinal marijuana. Both political issues have been debated in the Kansas Capitol for years, […]

47 Rural Kansas Hospitals at Immediate Risk of Closing

Over 500 rural hospitals – more than one-fourth of the rural hospitals in the country – were at immediate risk of closure even before the coronavirus pandemic be- cause of continuing financial losses and lack of financial reserves to sustain operations. These hospitals had: Persistent Financial Losses: The hospitals had a cumulative negative total margin […]

Gov. Kelly renews call for Medicaid expansion in 2021 State of the State address

The following is excerpt from the transcript of Governor Laura Kelly’s 2021 State of the State address: … So, if we’ve learned anything these past 10 months, it’s that every Kansan deserves health care they can afford, good health care facilities near their homes, and for our rural neighbors and friends, more access to telehealth […]

Medicaid expansion could help hospitals financially recover from pandemic, Health Affairs study suggests

By Hailey Mensik | Jan. 5, 2021 The COVID-19 pandemic has already bludgeoned hospitals’ finances amid stay-at-home orders and widespread cancellations in elective procedures. Now a surge in unemployment rendering some patients unable to access or pay for care is posing a threat to long-term recovery efforts. But lost revenue may be easier for hospitals […]