HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Certainly many healthcare providers are in favor of Gov. Laura Kelly's new push to expand Medicaid in the state. One of those agencies supporting the bill is the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund of Hutchinson.
On Thursday Kelly announced legislation to expand Medicaid that she says would provide more than 150,000 Kansans access to affordable healthcare and create more than 23,000 new jobs.
“A sustainable health system is crucial to the future of rural Kansas communities. High uninsured rates and hospitals facing high levels of uncompensated care threaten the future of healthcare,” United Methodist Health Ministry Fund President and CEO David Jordan said. “Expanding KanCare would help protect the 70 rural hospitals currently at risk of closing across our state. Expanding KanCare would strengthen the rural healthcare system and help ensure rural Kansans get the healthcare they need while giving a boost to their economies. The time to expand is now.”
Under the proposed legislation introduced on Feb. 9, Medicaid will be expanded to cover Kansans earning up to the full 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Level, 90 percent of which would be paid by the federal government, starting on Jan. 1, 2023. Furthermore, if Medicaid is expanded, the state is poised to receive an additional $370 million over the next eight fiscal quarters for the current Medicaid population.
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