Kansas Health Policy News 

2025

• Kansas governor says One Big Beautiful Bill Act could cost state $150 million or more — Dec. 4, 2025 — Kansas Reflector (Morgan Chilson)
• New KHI Research Highlights Federal Efforts to Support Rural Health as Kansas Hospitals Face Highest Closure Risk in Nation — Sept. 30, 2025 — KCLY 100.9 FM 
• Research highlights link between internet access and health outcomes — Nov. 14, 2025 — WIBW 13 (Callie Holthaus)
• Medicaid expansion backed by Kansans but not by GOP candidates — Nov. 2, 2025 — Topeka Capital-Journal (Jason Alatidd)
• 30-year decline in Kansas health can be reversed with leadership, report finds — Oct. 17, 2025 — The Chanute Tribune (Anna Kaminski, Kansas Reflector)
• 30-year decline in Kansas health can be reversed with leadership, report finds — Oct. 15, 2025 — Tonganoxie Mirror (Anna Kaminski, Kansas Reflector)
• Kansas health ranking declines sharply — Oct. 14, 2025 — Iola Register (Anna Kaminski, Kansas Reflector)
• Kansas foster care fails for the fourth year in a row to give enough mental health services to kids — Oct. 7, 2025 —The Beacon (Blaise Mesa)
• Gov. Kelly announces Kansas Rural Health Innovation Alliance appointments — Oct. 6, 2025 — JC Post
• Obamacare health premiums to rise in 2026; Missouri among hardest hit — Oct. 5, 2025 — St. Louis American (Suzanne King)
• Governor Kelly Announces Kansas Rural Health Innovation Alliance Appointments — Oct. 3, 2025 — Kansas Office of the Governor
• Uninsured Rate Among Kansas Children Hits Highest Level in a Decade — Oct. 3, 2025 — Emporia Gazette (Jessie Wagoner)
• Kansas Health Institute discusses solutions to improve access to care — Oct. 1, 2025 — WIBW 13 (Tori Whalen)
• Headlines: Report Examines Why the Health of Kansans Appears to be Getting Worse — Oct. 1, 2025 —  Kansas Public Radio
• Kansas Health Ranking Declines Sharply Amid Systemic Health Challenges — Sept. 30, 2025 —  KCLY 100.9 FM
• Headlines: Why Is the Health of Kansans Getting Worse?  — Sept. 30, 2025 —  Kansas Public Radio
• What Obamacare tax credit at center of government shutdown issue means to Kansas — Sept. 25, 2025 — Topeka Capital-Journal (Jason Alatidd)
• Editorial: Children Deserve Better — Sept. 24, 2025 —  Marysville  Advocate (Sarah Kessinger)
• Kansas Child Uninsured Rate Hits 10-Year High — Sept. 18, 2025 —  Insurance News Net (Laura Lombardi, Wellington Daily News)
• Why Kansas hospitals to get boost from federal OK of higher Medicaid provider tax — Sept. 15, 2025 — WIBW 13 (Jason Alatidd)
• Headlines: Kansas Uninsured Rate Among Children Hits Highest Level in a Decade— Sept. 15, 2025 —  Kansas Public Radio
• Public health harnessing AI to boost research — September 2025 — The Nation’s Health (Teddi Nicolaus)
• 988 Crisis Lifeline Provider Joins Southwest Kansas Community Coalition Event During National Suicide Prevention Month — Aug. 28, 2025 — KSCB News (Joe Denoyer)
• New study on Kansas wind energy highlights challenges facing rural counties — Aug. 20, 2025 — KSNT (Brayden Day)
• Brace for sticker shock if you’re buying health insurance on the ACA marketplace — Aug. 18, 2025 — The Beacon (Suzanne King)
• Kansas Health Insurance Enrollment Hits Record High, but Subsidy Changes Could Lower Numbers in 2026 — Aug. 15, 2025 — KCLY 100.9 FM
• All Things Kansas: One powerful tool to understanding the Sunflower State — Aug. 14, 2025 — Salina Post (Emily Boragine)
• Wesley House gets grant to fight food insecurity in Crawford Co — July 17, 2025 — KSN 16 Joplin (Damara Hale)
• Kansas middle of the pack for diet health, Dickinson County stands out — May 11, 2025 — Abilene Reflector-Chronicle (Gail Parsons)
• Headlines for Tuesday, April 29, 2025: Kansas Among Worst States in the Nation for Work-Related Fatalities — April 29, 2025 — Kansas Public Radio
• The session ends with whirlwind of veto overrides — Apr. 15, 2025 — LiberalFirst (Ron Ryckman)
• County Health Rankings and Roadmaps report considers social rules, power — April 8, 2025 — Kansas Reflector (Morgan Chilson)
• Douglas County is above average on many metrics in nationwide County Health Rankings; concerns about housing, income inequality remain — March 20, 2025 — Lawrence Journal World (Josie Heimsoth)
  
• KHI and partners release tool to aid AI policy for public health — Jan. 31, 2025 — LiberalFirst
• Kansas’ senior population is growing. How is it protecting its oldest residents? — Jan. 27, 2025 — KCUR (Steve Kraske, Elizabeth Ruiz)
• Emergency crisis service 988 growing in use — Jan. 23, 2025 — LiberalFirst (Elly Grimm)
• Kansas 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Coordinating Council issues 2024 report — Jan. 22, 2025 — WIBW 13 (Phil Anderson)
• 2-year data released for Kansas’ 988 crisis lifeline — Jan. 22, 2025 — 12 News (Jeffrey Lutz)
• Headlines for Tuesday, January 21, 2025: Kansas Lawmakers Expected to Consider Health Care-Related Proposals — Jan. 21, 2025 — Kansas Public Radio
• FHSU and Kansas Community Colleges announce new guaranteed admission program in school and clinical psychology — Jan. 17, 2025 — FHSU University Communications
• No grocery sales tax, restricted licenses: New laws now in effect in Kansas — Jan. 1, 2025 — 12 News (Keenan Penn II)

2024

• New year’s changes in Kansas: no grocery tax, higher pay for state officials — Dec. 31, 2024 — State Affairs (Bryan Richardson)
• ‘It’s going to help’: Kansas state sales tax on groceries to expire on Jan. 1 — Dec. 28, 2024 — KSHB 41 (Lily O’Shea Becker)
• Kansas will finally get rid of its sales tax on food and groceries — Dec. 26, 2024 — Topeka Capital-Journal (Jack Harvel)
• State sales tax on groceries drops to zero Jan. 1 — Dec. 26, 2024 — Kansas Reflector (Grace Hills)
• Kansas broadband internet disparities persist despite huge investments — Dec. 10, 2024 — Kansas Reflector (Tim Carpenter)
• KHI releases new interactive dashboard detailing digital access across the state — Dec. 6, 2024 — LiberalFirst
• Headlines for Monday, December 2, 2024: State Sales Tax on Kansas Grocery Items Expiring January 1 — Dec. 2, 2024 — Kansas Public Radio
• Uninsured rate remains steady in Kansas — Nov. 30, 2024 — LiberalFirst (Robert Pierce)
• Kansas Health Institute examines food tax policy in recent report — Nov. 21, 2024 — WIBW (Callie Holthaus)
• Explainer: What’s All the Fuss About Medicaid Expansion — Nov. 21, 2024 — The Voice (Bonita Gooch)
• Advocates continue fight for Medicaid expansion despite election setback — Nov. 7, 2024 — Public News Service (Suzanne Potter)
• Survey finds most Kansans support Medicaid expansion and abortion access — Oct. 29, 2024 — KMUW (Rose Conlon)
• NASHP’s Annual Conference Highlights State Strategies to Advance Health Equity — Oct. 21, 2024 — NASHP (Nia Denise Gooding, Katie Greene)
• Number of Kansans Using 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Increases — Oct. 9, 2024 — Kansas Reflector (Anna Kaminski)
• Demand for Suicide Hotline Grows — Oct. 6, 2024 — Kansas Reflector (Brad Cooper)
• Kansas uninsured rate remains worse than national average; 240K without health coverage — Sept. 18, 2024 — Kansas Reflector (Anna Kaminski)
• Kansas health insurance rates flatten; children without coverage up slightly — Sept. 12, 2024 — Sunflower State Journal (Brad Cooper)
• As school begins, mental health experts say to watch social media use by teens — Aug. 16, 2024 — KMUW (Rose Conlan)
• Record 171,000 Kansans enroll in the federally subsidized ACA health insurance marketplace — Aug. 8, 2024 — Kansas Reflector (Tim Carpenter)
• Hospitals give medical students a taste of rural Kansas hoping they’ll eventually work there — July 25, 2024 — KCUR 89.3  (Calen Moore)
• State health experts discuss need to protect growing number of older Kansans from abuse — July 22, 2024 — Kansas Reflector (AJ Dome)
• Wichita’s Early Edition: Fri., July 19, 2024 — July 19, 2024 — KMWU Wichita 89.1 (Lu Anne Stephens, Dylan Lysen)
• Allen County group outlines health needs — July 12, 2024 — The Iola Register (Vickie Moss)
• Alliance for a Healthy Kansas hosting combination BINGO and Medicaid community conversation Tuesday at Trussler Business Center — July 6, 2024 — KVOE-FM (Tagan Trahoon)
• Latinos in Kansas are three times more likely to lack health insurance than Whites — June 28, 2024 — The Latin Times (Pedro Camacho)
• Hispanic Kansans face health insurance disparity — June 27, 2024 — WIBW 13 (Callie Holthaus)
• Twenty percent of Kansas Hispanics lack health insurance — three times rate of white residents — June 27, 2024 — Kansas Reflector (Tim Carpenter)
• Group outlines health needs — June 26, 2024 — Iola Register (Vickie Moss)
• Wichita’s Early Edition: — June 26, 2024 — KMWU (Lu Anne Stephens)
• Kansas has kicked 24,000 children off health insurance in Medicaid ‘unwinding’ process — June 13, 2024 — KCUR (Rachel Mipro)
• 24K Kansas children lose health insurance in Medicaid ‘unwinding’ review — June 12, 2024 — Kansas Reflector (Rachel Mipro)
• Kansas City, Kansas, is adding 12 miles of levee bike trail, but riders still worry about access — June 12, 2024 — Kansas Reflector (Brandon Azim)
• Summit held to address reading crisis in Kansas — June 11, 2024 — KWCH Wichita 12
• Kansas Health Institute’s interactive map breaks down KanCare data — June 4, 2024 — WIBW Topeka (Shayndel Jones)
• Immigrants help rural Kansas flourish, but they often face challenges once they’re here — May 21, 2024 — Kansas Public Radio (Calen Moore)
• Opinion: It’s time for Kelly to consider the nuclear option to expand Medicaid — May 12, 2024 — Wichita Eagle (Dion Lefler)
• Push emerging to recognize gap-filling community paramedicine — April 29, 2024 — The Journal, from the Kansas Leadership Center (AJ Dome)
• Why haven’t Kansas and Alabama — among other holdouts — expanded access to Medicaid? — April 22, 2024 — Kansas Public Radio (Rose Conlon, Drew Hawkins)
• Kansas House speaker meets opposition as he makes case against Medicaid expansion in Plainville — April 18 — 2024 Kansas Reflector (Dale Hogg)
• ‘Zero Reasons Why’: Group confronts mental health issues with teens across Kansas — April 16, 2024 — KWCH 12 Wichita (Branden Stitt and Matt Heilman)
• For red state holdouts like Kansas, is expanding Medicaid within reach? — April 3, 2024 — New York Times (Noah Weiland)
• 4-Minute Listen: Kansas’s Democratic governor is trying to expand eligibility for Medicaid — March 31, 2024 — Kansas Public Radio (Ayesha Rascoe)
• County gets mixed grades on health — March 28, 2024 —  Marion County Record (Phyllis Zorn)
• New report shows improvement needed for a healthy Sedgwick County — Mar. 26, 2024 — 12 News Wichita
• County Health Rankings show parts of Kansas struggling — March 25, 2024  — Kansas Public Radio
• Shawnee County receives mixed results in the 2024 County Health Rankings and Roadmaps — March 20, 2024 — WIBW Topeka (Mikayla Kelly)
• Newly introduced bill could launch Kansas’ first pilot medical cannabis program — March 19, 2024 — Associated Press (Sam Jones)
• Medicaid Expansion: Gov. Kelly continues to fight for increasing healthcare coverage for low-income Kansans — March 15, 2024 — Great Bend Tribune
• ICYMI: Governor Kelly reiterates benefits of Medicaid expansion in Ottawa Herald interview — March 13, 2024 — Kansas Office of the Governor
• A Topeka program pays cash to new residents. Now it’s focusing on Latino immigrants — March 7, 2024 — KCUR Kansas City (Dylan Lysen)
• Concerns shared about mental health, child care and workforce in rural Kansas conversations — March 5, 2024 — Kansas Reflector (Lisse Regehr & David Jordan)
• Bipartisan Medicaid expansion agreement in N.C. spotlights divided issue in Kansas — March 5, 2024 — KWCH 12 News, Wichita (Cale Chapman)
• Kansas can’t expand Medicaid unless top Republicans support it. Here’s why they don’t — Feb. 28, 2024 — KCUR Kansas City (Rose Conlon)
• Wichita’s Early Edition— Feb. 26, 2024 — KMUW Wichita 89.1 (Beth Golay)
• New estimate predicts Medicaid expansion would serve 152K at no cost to state — Feb. 22, 2024 — Kansas Reflector (Sherman Smith)
• New poll says Republicans support Medicaid expansion, legislative leadership calls it misleading — Feb. 22, 2024 — KAKE ABC Wichita (Pilar Pedraza)
• Pitt State to Offer New Master’s in Social Work Degree Option — Feb. 12, 2024 — Pittstate.edu
• Kansas Health Institute shares overview of Medicaid, analysis of recent trends — Jan. 18, 2024 — WIBW (Shayndel Jones)
• Gov. Laura Kelly, in State of the State, issues a call: rural Kansas must be preserved  — Jan 10. 2024 — Kansas City Star (Katie Bernard)
• Kansas Governor Laura Kelly calls for preserving rural areas — Jan 10. 2024 — Wichita Eagle (Katie Bernard)
• Kansas House Speaker pans Medicaid expansion, announces fight against ‘communist China’ — Jan 10. 2024 — Kansas Reflector (Rachel Mipro)
• Three employees rewarded with promotions at Kansas Health Institute — Jan. 3, 2024 — WIBW (Shayndel Jones)

2023

• Medical Professionals See Need for More Education About the RSV Vaccine for Older Kansans — Dec. 22, 2023 — Kansas Reflector (AJ Dome)
• Kansas’ Unrivaled Rural Hospital Crisis: 58% at Risk of Closing, 82% Lost Money on Patient Care — Dec. 12, 2023 — Kansas Reflector (Tim Carpenter)
• GOP Leaders ‘Demonize the Poor’ in Medicaid Expansion Debate While Working Kansans Struggle — Dec. 11, 2023 — Kansas Reflector (Sherman Smith)
• Kansas’ Unrivaled Rural Hospital Crisis: 58% at Risk of Closing, 82% Lost Money on Patient Care — Dec. 12, 2023 — Kansas Reflector (Tim Carpenter)
• ‘Band-Aid over a Bullet Hole’: Medicaid Expansion Could Help Reduce Prison and Jail Populations — Dec. 13, 2023 — Kansas Reflector (Rachel Mipro)
• Board Hears Update on Anti-Vaping Efforts — Nov. 24, 2023 — Derby Informer (Kelly Breckunitch)  Related: Vaping ECHO for Education Pilot Initiative in Kansas
• Blue Valley Parents Turning Tragedy of Suicide Into Hope — Nov. 8, 2023 — Shawnee Mission Post (Diana Reese)
• Wichita’s Early Edition: Friday, Nov. 3, 2023 — Nov. 3, 2023 — KMUW Wichita (Beth Golay)
• Health Experts Discuss How to Make Aging Services More Accessible for Rural Kansans — Nov. 2, 2023 — WIBW Topeka (Callie Holthaus)
• Kelly’s Medicaid Tour Highlights Need to Deepen Reach of Kansas’ Mental Health Services — Oct. 31, 2023 — Kansas Reflector (Tim Carpenter)
• Medicaid Expansion is Laura Kelly’s Top Priority. Can her Sixth Try Pass the Legislature? — Sept. 26, 2023, Topeka Capital-Journal (Jason Alatidd)
• Roger Marshall Wants to Aid Kansas Farmers’ Mental Health, but Not by Expanding Medicaid — Sept. 21, 2023, Topeka Capital Journal (Jason Alatidd)
• Rate of Uninsured Kansans Surpasses National Rate — Sept. 21, 2023, Fort Scott Biz
• Kansas Gun Safety Advocates Urge Stronger Firearm Laws, More Safe Storage Measures — Sept. 18, 2023, Kansas Reflector (Rachel Mipro)
• Kansas Uninsured Rate Improves — Sept. 15, 2023, Insurance Newsnet
• Kansas Health Care Coverage Lags Behind National Average for Second Year — Sept. 14, 2023, Kansas Reflector (Rachel Mipro)
• As School Vaccination Rates Trend Down, KDHE Doesn’t See Requiring COVID Shot Anytime Soon — Sept. 14, 2023, Topeka Capital-Journal (Rafael Garcia)
• Health Experts Discuss Back-to-School Immunization Requirements — Sept. 14, 2023, WIBW Topeka (Callie Holthaus)
• More than 20,000 Calls Made in First Year of 988 Lifeline in Kansas — Sept. 11, 2023, KSN-TV (Zena Taher)
• There’s a Spike in Youth Suicides. Easy Access to Guns is Part of the Problem — Sept. 10, 2023, Kansas Reflector (Max McCoy)
• 988 Lifeline Sees Momentous First Year — Sept. 7, 2023, WIBW Topeka (Callie Holthaus)
• Kansas Lawmakers Say Guns Shouldn’t Be Blamed in Spiking Youth Suicide Rates — Sept. 1, 2023, Kansas Reflector (Rachel Mipro)
• Kansas Child Advocates, State Officials Call for Deeper Understanding of Family Welfare — Aug. 24, 2023, Kansas Reflector (Tim Carpenter)
• Mental Health Committee Hears Updates on Suicide Prevention Efforts — Aug. 24, 2023, State Affairs (Brett Stover)
• Kansas Health Institute Hosts Panel on Child Welfare Legislation — Aug. 23, 2023, WIBW Topeka (Shayndel Jones)
• Lawmakers Push for More Child Welfare Legislation in 2024 — Aug. 23, 2023, State Affairs (Bryan Richardson)
• Local School Works to Discourage Vaping on Campus — Aug. 16, 2023, KAKE Wichita (Pilar Pedraza)
• Mothers are Dying at High Rates in Kansas and Missouri. Most are Preventable, Reports Say — Aug. 14, 2023, The Kansas City Star (Katie Bernard, Kacen Bayless)
• As America Becomes More Diverse, Topeka Rides the Wave of Change — July 31, 2023, Governing (Carl Smith)
• Headlines for Wednesday, July 19, 2023: Premiums Increase for ACA Insurance Plans — July 19, 2023, Kansas Public Radio
• Sunday Roundup: Kansas Sets Record for ACA Enrollment — July 16, 2023, Sunflower State Journal ( Brad Cooper)
• Kansas Health Institute to Aid Recipients of $3.84 Billion Federal Grant — July 11, 2023, WIBW Topeka (Sarah Motter)
• A Friend AsKS Youth Suicide Prevention App Offers Resource in Spanish — July 6, 2023, WIBW Topeka (Melissa Brunner and Shayndel Jones)
• Wyandotte County Among Recipients of $3.6 Million Youth Suicide Prevention Grant — June 12, 2023, KCTV5 (Jenna Barackman)
• Laura Kelly will be the First Democrat to Negotiate KanCare Contracts. Why Does That Matter? — June 9, 2023, The Kansas City Star (Katie Bernard)
• Kansas Could Remove 125,000 People from Medicaid After Pandemic. Kelly Calls for Expansion — June 8, 2023, Kansas City Star (Jonathan Shorman)
• A Federal Court Ruling Could Mean Higher Health Care Costs for Kansans and Less Preventive Care  — March 31, 2023, KCUR Kansas City (Samantha Horton & Rose Conlon)
• Health Care Center Estimates Changes to KanCare Could Impact Patients — March 30, 2023, WIBW Topeka (Shayndel Jones)
• Kansas State University Brings Staff, Students to Topeka on Monday — Jan. 23, 2023, WIBW Topeka (Phil Anderson)
• Kansas Farmers, Ranchers Plant Seeds of Change to Erode Stigma of Mental Illness  — Jan. 4, 2023, Kansas Reflector (Tim Carpenter)

2022

• Telehealth ‘Another /Arrow in the Quiver’ for Kansas Providers, But Barriers Remain — Dec. 20, 2022, Kansas Reflector (Sherman Smith)
• KHI Hosts Panel to Discuss Growing Mental Health Needs Across Kansas — Dec. 14, 2022, WIBW Topeka (Alex Carter)
• Legislators, Lobbyists Highlight Hot-Button Health Policy Issues Ahead of 2023 Session — Nov. 15, 2022, Kansas Reflector (Tim Carpenter)
• How We Can All Nurture the Health Care Workforce for a Changing Kansas — Nov. 10, 2022, Kansas Reflector (David Jordan)
• Big Pandemic Spending at Kansas Hospitals Could Make Your Insurance Even More Expensive — Sept. 28, 2022, KMUW Wichita and Sept. 24, 2022, KCUR Kansas City (Rose Conlon)
• More Americans Getting Health Insurance – But Not Kansans — Sept. 24, 2022 , Derby Informer (Rose Conlon)
• For the First Time in Decades the Uninsured Rate in Kansas is Higher Than the U.S. Average — Sept. 22, 2022, KCUR Kansas City (Up to Date podcast with Steve Kraske)
• Kansas Uninsured Rate Now Higher Than National Average — Sept. 19 , 2022, Kansas Reflector (Rachel Mipro) 
• More Americans Got Health Insurance During the Pandemic, But Not in Kansas — Sept. 16, 2022 , KMUW Wichita (Rose Conlon)
• Kansas and Missouri Health Care is Saddling People of Color with Debt — July 19, 2022, KCUR Kansas City (Celia Llopis-Jepsen)
• Senior Care Panel Looks for Lasting Change in Kansas Workforce — July 14, 2022, Kansas Reflector (Noah Taborda)
• Employers in Kansas and Elsewhere are Wrestling with the Health Care Industry — and Losing — July 03, 2022, KCUR Kansas City (Celia Llopis-Jepsen)
• The Public Health Accreditation Board Welcomes the Center for Sharing Public Health Services — June 29, 2022, WFMZ-TV (Allentown, PA)
• Schmidt, Kelly Campaigns at Odds on Approach to Medicaid Expansion in Kansas — June 28, 2022, Kansas Reflector (Noah Taborda)
• Masterson Returns to Grace the High Plains — June 12, 2022, High Plains Journal (Dave Bergmeier)
• Johnson County Earns High Marks on Annual Health Report — With a Notable Exception — April 29, 2022, Shawnee Mission Post (Lucie Krisman)
• 1 in 6 Kansans Lives in a Food Desert. Some in Central Topeka Insist They Can Build an Oasis — March 30, 2022, KCUR Kansas City (Celia Llopis-Jepsen)
• New Rule Lets Low-Income People in Kansas, Missouri Keep Shopping for Health Insurance — March 10, 2022, KCUR Kansas City (Celia Llopis-Jepsen)
•  Yes, More and More of your Paycheck Goes to Health Care in Kansas and Missouri. Here’s Why — Jan. 24, 2022, KCUR Kansas City (Celia Llopis-Jepsen)