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Advocates for Disabled, Elderly Call for Medicaid Funding

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-918902.mp3

Topkea, KS – Advocates for the elderly and disabled lined up today before a legislative committee to spell out how budget cuts have affected state services. The Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services heard the testimony at the Statehouse.

For six months this year, a 10% cut in the amount paid to Medicaid service providers caused some reductions in services and waiting lists to swell. That's according to Don Jordan, Secretary of the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services.

"It's lucky that it didn't last any longer than it did," says Jordan. "But just because it's gone away, i think we'll see continuing impacts for what it did to their bottom line for a while."

The payment cut has now been reversed. Advocates are urging lawmakers to increase the amount paid for health care services under Medicaid, saying the payments often don't cover the costs to provide services.

Medicaid provides health care for around 300,000 aged, disabled and low-income Kansans.

 

As the Kansas News Service managing editor, I help our statewide team of reporters find the important issues and breaking news that impact people statewide. We refine our daily stories to illustrate the issues and events that affect the health, well-being and economic stability of the people of Kansas. Email me at skoranda@kcur.org.
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