TOPEKA — A Medicaid expansion proposal has been enrolled into state House and Senate committees despite continued opposition from top legislative Republicans.
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly, who has spent the months leading up to the legislative session rallying across the state for Medicaid expansion, called for a hearing on the bill by Jan. 29.
“It’s easy to sum up the Cutting Healthcare Costs for All Kansans Act: health care coverage for 150,000 Kansans, cost savings for everyone else. We protect our rural hospitals, and Kansas taxpayers pay nothing extra,” Kelly said in a Wednesday announcement of the proposal’s enrollment. “The legislature should listen to the over 70% of Kansans who support Medicaid Expansion and give this bill a hearing by Kansas Day.”
Rep. Vic Miller, D-Topeka, introduced the bill in the House Appropriations Committee and on the Senate side, Sen. Pat Pettey, D- Kansas City, introduced the bill into the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
“Medicaid expansion is not only popular, but it saves lives, creates jobs and saves our rural hospitals. Hardworking Kansans shouldn’t die because of legislative inaction,” Miller said.
Medicaid expansion would unlock $700 million in annual federal funding and could potentially save 59 rural hospitals at risk of closing. Kelly unveiled her latest Medicaid expansion package in December, but Senate President Ty Masterson and House Speaker Dan Hawkins remain opposed to expansion, calling the move a way to expand the “welfare state.”
Lawmakers last came close to expansion in 2020, when former Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning worked out a bipartisan deal with Kelly. But the deal fell apart as Republicans, outraged by a Kansas Supreme Court ruling that established a constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy, focused on placing a constitutional amendment on abortion before voters instead, according to Denning’s account of events.
In the years since, Democrats in both chambers have been unsuccessful in their attempts to insert Medicaid expansion proposals into various bills.
On Wednesday, several Republican lawmakers broke rank to announce their support of the introduction, including Sen. Brenda Dietrich, Rep. Susan Concannon, Sen. Carolyn McGinn, Rep. David Younger and Sen. John Doll.
“When a bipartisan approach was taken on a Medicaid Expansion bill in 2020, we held a hearing,” Concannon said. “It’s been four years, and many of our newest legislators don’t know where they stand because they’ve never heard an actual debate. I believe it’s time to hear from all sides to make an informed decision for the people of Kansas.”
