Editorials
Kansas Medicaid expansion deal shows that compromise is not a dirty word
Kansas has taken an enormous step toward providing quality health care for all of its residents.
In a joint news conference Thursday, Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, and Kansas Sen. Jim Denning, a Republican, announced a compromise that could lead to expanded Medicaid insurance coverage in the state.
Expanding Medicaid has been an issue for almost a decade. The state came close to approving a plan in 2017, but lawmakers fell just short of overriding former Gov. Sam Brownback’s veto.
A veto is no longer an issue. Medicaid expansion is finally within reach, and it’s time to pass it.
Here’s the plan:
▪ Medicaid insurance coverage would be available for Kansans earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level. For a family of four, that’s $35,535 a year in 2020. It could make up to 150,000 Kansans eligible.
▪ The federal government would pay 90% of the cost; any less, and the program ends. Kansas’ 10% contribution would come from a charge to hospitals, up to $35 million a year.
▪ The program would start no later than January 2021. Kansas would also adopt a proposal aimed at reducing private health insurance premiums, which could lower the cost of expanding Medicaid by keeping some people on private insurance.
▪ There is no work requirement. There would be a more robust work referral program for those on expanded Medicaid. Clients would be asked to pay a $25 monthly premium.
This outline, hammered out over weeks of negotiations, provides a sturdy framework for an expanded Medicaid program. That’s why a majority of state senators has endorsed it.
Unfortunately, not everyone is on board. Senate President Susan Wagle, who is struggling to prove her conservative GOP credentials for a U.S. Senate run, compared the plan to “socialized government run healthcare.”
Wagle’s crass mischaracterization of the compromise is easily discounted. More problematic are conservative members in the Kansas House, where Medicaid expansion will likely live or die.
Democratic state Rep. Cindy Holscher, who will likely oppose Denning in this year’s elections, warned of “extremist factions (which) will try … to add unrelated amendments and bureaucratic red tape in an effort to stop expansion.”
The amendments will almost certainly involve abortion proposals and work requirements. Both should be kept out of this bill. Instead, the compromise should head to the floors of both chambers for votes by the end of January.
Kansas voters will play a key role in this effort. Lobbying groups often keep track of crucial votes in an effort to protect their interests, a process they call “scoring.” It’s a great idea on this issue.
Call your legislator. Tell him or her that you’re scoring this vote: If you reject this compromise, then we’ll reject you at the polls. Every legislative seat is on the ballot.
“Compromise is hard. It’s messy and it’s slow, but it is so worth it,” the governor said Thursday. She’s absolutely right. Because of her work, and Denning’s, 150,000 Kansans may soon get the health coverage they need.
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