Gov. Laura Kelly wants to act swiftly to expand Medicaid, and mentioned during her State of the State address that she will be forming a bipartisan group to work on the initiative. She announced the working group of healthcare stakeholders has been officially formed Thursday.
The group — asked to provide input on KanCare expansion as well as help the proposal through the Kansas legislature — is expected to have a finalized plan for expansion by Kansas Day on Jan. 29.
“I’ve made no secret that expanding Kansans’ access to affordable, high-quality healthcare is one of my top priorities as governor,” Kelly said. “This working group is an important step forward in accomplishing this goal. We’ve assembled a group of top-notch leaders who can help us develop a plan that is financially sustainable and meets the unique needs of Kansas patients, hospitals, providers, and diverse communities.”
Stakeholders in the group include:
- Tom Bell– President and CEO, Kansas Hospital Association
- Rep. Susan Concannon– State Representative (R-District 107)
- Denise Cyzman– CEO, Community Care Network of Kansas
- Cathy Harding– President and CEO, Wyandotte Health Foundation
- April Holman– Executive Director, Alliance for a Healthy Kansas
- Kyle Kessler– Executive Director, Association of Community Mental Health Centers
- Dr. Lee Norman– Interim Secretary, Kansas Department of Health and Environment
- Jon Rosell– Executive Director, Kansas Medical Society
- Michael Stephens– President and CEO, Sunflower Health Plan
- Suzanne Wikle– Senior Policy Analyst, Center for Law and Social Policy
- Rep. Kathy Wolfe Moore– State Representative (D-District 36)
Kelly says the list is not exhaustive as she says she’s received five years of input from many other individuals and organizations on expansion.
“Medicaid Expansion will help every single Kansas community, which is why 77 percent of Kansans support it,” said Kelly. “It will create jobs, support rural hospitals, keep our tax dollars here in our state, and make Kansas families stronger. We need everyone to pitch in and help remind Kansas lawmakers why it’s so important that the Legislature finish the work they started in 2017, when they supported Medicaid Expansion overwhelmingly.”
Kansas is among the ranks of 14 states that have chosen not to expand Medicaid, though a bill for it had previously passed the legislature and was eventually vetoed by former Gov. Sam Brownback.
“We’ve seen Republican and Democratic-led states across the country find consensus on Medicaid expansion to benefit their citizens, their communities and their economies,” said Kelly. “It’s time we do the same in Kansas.”
