The Faces of Medicaid Expansion coverage gap

Spring 2024 Campaign

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There is a lot of talk about how Medicaid expansion in Kansas will benefit hospitals, health care systems, businesses, and the economy. But who are the individuals in Kansas who stand to gain coverage from Medicaid expansion when it is passed?

Let’s lift up those who currently live in the health insurance gap and put a face to the unnamed Kansans who live life without access to affordable health insurance. These are individuals who don’t qualify for Medicaid currently, but make too little to get financial assistance on the Health Insurance Marketplace. These are the faces of the tens of thousands of Kansans who need Medicaid expansion now.

Step 1: Sign the Call to Action

Send an email to your Senator letting them know that the Kansas Legislature needs to hold a debate and vote on the floor of the Senate when they return to Topeka at the end of April. We’ve done most of the work for you, but you can customize the message if you’d like. Please also share this link with your friends and networks so they can tell their Senators to do the same.

Step 2: Connect with your legislator personally

During this April break, your legislators will likely schedule town halls, coffee meetings, forums, or other ways to connect with his/her constituent. Find out when your legislator is meeting with constituents and attend the event. Encourage your friends to attend the event too.

We’ve included a list of questions you can use to ask your legislators about Medicaid expansion.

If your legislator is not having a townhall or meeting during this break, reach out and see if they’ll talk with you one-on-one or in a small group.

BONUS: Send us information when you see a public meeting and we’ll add it to our list and share with others. Email it to info@expandkancare.com.

Step 3: Write a Letter to the Editor

Write a Letter to the Editor (LTE) to your local newspaper supporting Medicaid expansion. There will be a vote on Medicaid expansion in the Kansas Senate when the legislators come back on April 25, so this is the last chance to make your voice heard before the end of the 2024 Legislative session.

LTEs should be between 150 – 200 words, and we recommend ending the LTE with the following sentence: “It’s time to vote yes to bring Medicaid expansion to the floor.”

Be sure to follow the length and formatting standards for the newspaper you are submitting to. This information is usually on their website.

If you would like assistance with writing your LTE, email Lacey@ExpandKanCare.com. Let us know which paper you are submitting to so we can keep track.

You can see a list of newspapers in Kansas here.

Step 4: Organize a Local Postcard writing event

Organize an event in your community to gather people to come together and write postcards to legislators. The Alliance will come to your event and give a brief overview of Medicaid expansion. Attendees can use the information we provide (or write their own story) on postcards to mail to legislators about how important Medicaid expansion is to Kansas. We’ll bring the postcards – you provide the people! (Note: As a 501(c)(3) organization, the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas can not partner with partisan organizations, but we are very happy to partner with non-partisan and 501(c)(3) organizations.)

Send an email to info@expandkancare.com to get started planning your event.

BONUS: Share on social media

Post a selfie on social media articulating to all of your friends and followers why you are the face of Medicaid expansion advocacy. Be sure to use #ExpandKanCare and #ksleg in your posts so we can find you! You can also use the social media graphics below in the Resources section on social media to spread awareness about the Kansans who fall in the gap.

Resources

To download the images, click on the link below. A new tab will open, then you can right click and “save as” to download to your computer. All graphics are .jpg file unless otherwise noted.

• Call to Action social media graphics (Coming soon)
• “Faces of the Coverage Gap” social media graphics – these individuals represent composite stories of real Kansans we have worked with who live in the coverage gap.
  • James – illustrates how Kansans with a disability might fall in the coverage gap
  • Sarah – illustrates stay-at-home moms who might fall in the coverage gap
  • Carolyn – illustrates how self-employed individuals & caretakers might fall in the coverage gap
  • Brian – illustrates how a low-wage working Kansan might fall in the coverage gap
  • Cheryl – illustrates how a Kansan age 50 – 64 might fall in the coverage gap
  • Daniel – illustrates the medical debt that comes with living in the coverage gap
  • Michelle – illustrates how a single parent might fall in the coverage gap
  • Sam – illustrates how farmhands and seasonal workers might fall in the coverage gap
  • Mason – illustrates how a child might fall in the coverage gap
  • Jenny – illustrates how someone with behavioral health conditions might fall in the coverage gap
• “Faces of the Coverage Gap” printable flier (pdf)
• List of Kansas newspapers
• YouTube Advocacy Module: Writing Letters to the Editor