Tagged: Medicaid

The director of Missouri’s Medicaid program, Dr. Ian McCaslin, has left. 

Medicaid, the public health insurance program for low income and disabled residents, is no small chunk of change in Missouri. It comprises a huge portion of the state’s budget (more on that in Part 2). It also covers a lot of people: about one in ten residents.

So, to expand or not to expand Medicaid?

Last year’s Supreme Court ruling left a key part of the federal health law up to states to decide: whether to expand Medicaid. About half of states have said they’ll go along with an expansion. The rest are undecided or opposed. Leaders in Missouri are still divided on what to do. Missouri’s Governor supports an expansion but he faced one of his toughest crowds yet, when meeting with Senate leadership this week.

The clock is ticking for the 380,000 Kansans whose health insurance comes through the Medicaid program now known as KanCare. 

The KanCare program assigned each member to one of three private companies administering the benefits as of the first of the year.  Members who prefer to switch to a different company have to do so no later than this Thursday. 

At a recent educational meeting in Hays, KDHE policy and program analyst Effie Swanson said one reason to switch might be if your doctor is not signed up with your health plan’s network.

Supporters of expanding Medicaid delivered nearly 3,000 signatures to Kansas Governor Sam Brownback's office Wednesday, asking him to support an expansion of the state's Medicaid program.

Anna Lambertson is with a coalition of organizations pushing for Medicaid expansion.  She spoke during a rally at the Statehouse.  She said it was good for workers and businesses.