In state fiscal year 2021, Medicaid and CHIP covered an average of 461,090 people in Kansas per month at a total cost of $4.4 billion for the year. To help you understand the workings of this program, the Kansas Health Institute and the Kansas Legislative Research Department have released Kansas Medicaid: A Primer 2022, an in-depth handbook describing the Kansas Medicaid program.
Read MoreHealth insurance coverage in Kansas has improved since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010; however, gains in coverage have stalled in recent years. In several population groups, disparities in insurance coverage that narrowed following implementation of the ACA have reversed and show signs of widening. This Annual Insurance Update 2021 uses the latest available data (from 2019) to provide information about insurance coverage in Kansas and highlights areas where disparities in coverage may be growing. While we recognize the value of this annual publication as a resource, we also realize that COVID-19 has undoubtedly had an impact on insurance coverage since 2019. Therefore, watch our website for upcoming analyses as the U.S. Census Bureau releases the most recent data.
Read MoreIn response to ongoing concerns about high maternal mortality rates, some states have extended or have requested regulatory authority to extend Medicaid benefits to new mothers for up to a full year after giving birth. Though Kansas is not in the group of states actively seeking to extend postpartum Medicaid coverage, the state's program currently provides extended coverage for all beneficiaries in a continuous eligibility period associated with the federal Public Health Emergency (PHE). This A Kansas Twist blog highlights maternal health outcomes and the options states have for extending postpartum coverage in Medicaid.
Read MoreEnrollment in KanCare has risen since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Data suggest that this increase in enrollment has been driven primarily by the state’s decision, in response to federal incentives, to continue eligibility for KanCare enrollees throughout the pandemic. However, even with the increase in enrollment, this continuing coverage policy has reduced overall state KanCare costs due to an increase in the federal match rate. This issue brief provides an overview of how the COVID-19 pandemic and related policy response has affected enrollment in KanCare and how it may continue to do so in the future.
Read MoreThe potential effects of Medicaid expansion on businesses in Kansas is a relatively under-addressed question. While other studies have looked at the macroeconomic effects of expansion – for example on tax revenues and state economies – no study has examined potential effects on industries and businesses in Kansas as employers. This report estimates that employees switching to Medicaid from employer-sponsored insurance would save private-sector employers in Kansas between $39.6 million and $80.6 million per year. Employers could experience non-financial effects of Medicaid expansion as well, including a healthier workforce. This report was prepared by the Kansas Health Institute for the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas.
Read MoreOn February 1, Governor Laura Kelly announced a new proposal to expand eligibility for Medicaid in Kansas as allowed under the Affordable Care Act. The proposal builds on previous legislation to expand the program but creates a new funding mechanism for the state share of expansion: revenues from the legalization of medical marijuana. This new table summarizes the main policy elements of previously proposed legislation to expand Medicaid in Kansas, and how those provisions relate to the new proposal announced by the Governor.
Read MoreWith the passage of ballot initiatives in 2020, Missouri and Oklahoma joined Nebraska and Colorado to completely surround Kansas with states that have already expanded or will soon expand Medicaid coverage to low-income adults under the terms of the Affordable Care Act. That changing landscape, combined with a new federal administration and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, is likely to influence debate over Medicaid expansion in Kansas in 2021. This issue brief updates previous Kansas Health Institute estimates of the impact a potential expansion of Medicaid would have on KanCare enrollment and costs.
Read MoreThe Kansas Health Institute offered two virtual orientations to review important health policy topics for legislators as they started the 2021 legislative session. The slides and video recordings of the sessions are available on our website.
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.
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