For the first time in four years, Kansas Republicans have agreed to hold legislative hearings on whether to expand Medicaid, the health insurance program for the indigent, elderly and disabled. They are scheduled for Wednesday.
Despite overwhelming public support of KanCare, its more familiar name, Republicans have refused to debate the measure. Their typical lines of defense have been that the joint program between the states and the federal government is tenuous and that states will be left holding the funding bag.
After 10 years, that has not happened. In fact, it’s federal law that Congress meets its obligation.
Republicans also use the scare tactic that people will quit their jobs if the qualifying guidelines are expanded. As is, a family of four can earn no more than $11,856 to qualify for the health benefits. If the program were expanded, that same family could earn up to $43,056 — 138 percent of the federal poverty level — and qualify for the benefit, which is tailored to one’s income.
If anything, expansion will result in more people taking on more hours so they can have both a better household income and health care.
The expanded program will also create more jobs in health care, including mental health, public health and rural health.
The arguments are so strong in its favor, that 40 states have passed the measure.
In the Midwest, Kansas is an island of rejection. Oklahoma, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado have all approved the measure.
Why?
Because it’s fiscally and morally responsible.
A healthy populace is more productive. A healthy populace learns better and behaves better. A healthy populace has hope.
Our holdout has gotten to the point of the absurd.
Were the state to approve expansion, the federal government would pay 95 percent of expenses for the first two years. That’s an annual savings to the state of $509 million, according to the Kansas Health Institute.
After getting our feet on the ground, the federal government’s responsibility is 90 percent of the tab.
Gov. Laura Kelly has campaigned twice now on the premise the state should expand the health insurance program to an estimated 152,000 Kansans who fall into the “doughnut hole” of health insurance because they earn too much to qualify for KanCare or too little to qualify for the federal government’s Affordable Healthcare Act insurance program.
Every day that we neglect to take advantage of the expanded offering is to our disadvantage.
“Time is money,” the governor said at a rally Wednesday. To date, Kansas has refused to take advantage of nearly $7 billion in additional federal funding while we continue to subsidize the plans of other states.
Wednesday’s hearings are at 10:30 a.m. before a joint meeting of the Senate Public Health and Welfare and Ways and Means committees.
At 1 p.m., the House Health and Human Services Committee will hear testimony on House Bill 2556. Our state representative, Fred Garner, sits on the committee.
If you can be there, great.
If not, share your thoughts with Rep. Garner at [email protected].
