New Survey: Kansans Would Benefit Greatly from Medicaid Expansion
Medicaid expansion has been a major issue in many states this election season, and Kansas is no exception. Although the state legislature voted last year to expand eligibility for Medicaid, the bill was vetoed by former Governor Sam Brownback. But the state may again pursue expansion in the near future, likely with a work requirement for some beneficiaries.
To better understand the potential effects of expanding Medicaid for low-income adults in Kansas, the Commonwealth Fund and the REACH Healthcare Foundation supported a survey of the state’s residents and compared the responses to those of their counterparts in Indiana and Ohio — two Midwestern states that did expand Medicaid. Harvard researchers Anna L. Goldman, M.D., and Benjamin D. Sommers, M.D., found that in Kansas the uninsured rate for low-income adults ages 19 to 64 is 20 percent — significantly higher than in the other states. Low-income Kansans also reported more frequent delays in their care due to cost, greater difficulty affording medical bills, and worse overall health care quality.
If Kansas were to add a work requirement to Medicaid, the authors say it would likely have little impact on employment in Kansas, as most potential Medicaid enrollees are disabled or already employed.
Worker under Medicaid expansion Read the report New Survey: Kansans Would Benefit Greatly from Medicaid Expansion