Prior to my time as secretary of commerce, you could see me under the dome of the Capitol leading rallies with a pickle jar in my hand talking about the need for Medicaid expansion.
Why a pickle jar? Well, I saw pickle jars sitting on convenience store counters across the state collecting money for someone’s cancer treatments or dialysis or recovery from car accidents, hoping a friend, a neighbor, a co-worker or family member would throw in a couple bucks so they could pay for whatever treatment they needed.
It’s unacceptable that so many are forced to rely on the kindness of our neighbors or of strangers to drop change in a pickle jar or donate on GoFundMe to be able to afford health care treatments.
Kansas is one of only 12 states that has yet to expand Medicaid. Even our neighbors in Missouri and Oklahoma — two red states — have gotten this done for the people of their state.
Throughout April, leaders across our state met to stress the need for Medicaid expansion. In Horton, Becky Plate, a nurse, talked about her own experience in the coverage gap, and the “choice” to either stay in poverty to qualify for coverage or go without insurance until she could pull herself out of poverty.
In Wellington, disability rights advocate Cammie Funston talked about the benefits Medicaid expansion would offer the disability community, including increasing access to health care for 15,000 Kansans with disabilities.
In Independence, Attorney General (Derek) Schmidt’s hometown, rural advocate Alana Cloutier discussed the need to expand Medicaid to protect our rural communities from further economic loss.
Medicaid expansion is extremely popular, too. Nearly 8 out of 10 Kansans — Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike — support expanding KanCare.
In today’s day and age, how often do nearly 8 out of 10 people across the board agree on anything?
That’s why seeing politicians like Schmidt continue to oppose Medicaid expansion is upsetting and confusing.
Schmidt has had access to quality, affordable health care his entire career as a politician. I have that same opportunity, too. I believe Kansans should have the same access to quality health care that Schmidt and I have.
For reasons that are difficult to understand, Schmidt has historically been against expanding Medicaid in Kansas: As state senator, he opposed Medicaid expansion that would have increased access to health care for 30,000 Kansans. As attorney general, he sued to prevent 150,000 Kansans from receiving access to health care and the creation of 23,000 jobs.
It’s not too late for the many rural hospitals in our state, but time is running out.
Health care is on the ballot this fall. Gov. Laura Kelly and I will never stop fighting to make sure Kansans can get access to the health care coverage they need — and can leave the pickle jar at home.
David Toland is the Kansas lieutenant governor and commerce secretary.
