Because we understand that health policy may not be the main area of expertise for many legislators, the Kansas Health Institute offered two virtual orientations for legislators to introduce important topics and answer questions.
Read MoreHealth insurance is considered essential to access high-quality health care and offers protection from excessive medical bills. Throughout the year, the Kansas Health Institute (KHI) provides detailed information about insurance coverage in Kansas to enrich ongoing discussion of health coverage options in Kansas and on the national level. This infographic provides a high-level overview of insurance coverage for 2,872,404 Kansans in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read MoreIn the United States, health insurance coverage is often tied to employment. Before COVID-19 affected the Kansas economy, employment-based insurance was the most common source of coverage. Now, many Kansans have lost their jobs and possibly their health insurance coverage. Understanding the insurance landscape in Kansas prior to COVID-19 might help anticipate what changes in coverage are on the horizon. Learn more in our new report, Annual Insurance Update 2020: Health Insurance in Kansas.
Read MoreOn December 18, 2019, three judges from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans issued a decision in the case of Texas v. United States (Texas) and held that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual mandate is unconstitutional. The courts are now further considering that question and also the much broader question of whether the entire ACA should be declared unconstitutional.
Read MoreMultiple proposals to expand Medicaid are expected to compete for approval by the Legislature in the 2020 session. A summary of the differences among the various proposals is presented on the tracker below and will be updated here as needed.
Read MoreAccording to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau, more than a quarter (28.1 percent) of the Medicaid expansion target population is uninsured. Where do the rest obtain insurance? Which counties have the highest uninsured rate and number of Kansas adults potentially eligible for Medicaid, if expanded? How did these low-income adults fare in your county? Find the answers to these and other questions in our latest fact sheet, Insurance Coverage in the Medicaid Expansion Target Population.
Read MoreMany state Medicaid agencies and managed care organizations (MCO) are seeking to improve health outcomes and reduce per person health care spending through interventions that address social needs faced by enrollees. In implementing these interventions, states and MCOs are recognizing that many factors beyond medical care contribute to health outcomes, including social circumstances and environment. How are KanCare MCOs addressing social needs? What is being done in other states? What challenges do Medicaid programs face when implementing interventions? Find the answers to these questions and more in our latest brief.
Read MoreThe Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a 56-page set of guidelines on January 30, 2020. Dubbed the Healthy Adult Opportunity (HAO), the optional demonstration model would allow states to modify the usual rules of the joint federal-state program in exchange for cost controls in the form of block grants — called aggregate caps — or per-capita caps, which would limit how much the federal government would pay.
Read MoreMultiple proposals to expand Medicaid for low-income Kansas adults age 19-64 have emerged for consideration in the 2020 legislative session. How could selected components in some proposals, such as premiums or alternate income limits, affect enrollment and costs? This issue brief delves into the details and updates previous Kansas Health Institute estimates of the effect of expansion on KanCare.
Read MoreIn December 2019, the Kansas Health Institute (KHI) hosted two Medicaid trainings administered by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). Learn more in our Event Recap.
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