Kansas City, MO – Enrolling in Medicaid and SCHIP in Kansas will soon get a lot easier.
The state is one of thirteen places to receive a federal grant to upgrade their computer systems and improve the overall enrollment process.
"It'll make it easier for us to process applications as they come in," said Peter Hancock with the Kansas Health Policy authority, which oversees the state's Medicaid program. "We're dealing with a very antiquated system."
Hancock said the funding comes at an important time, as the state gears up to implement an expansion of SCHIP, which the legislature authorized this year.
That's expected to add more than 9,000 children to the program.
The forty million dollar five year grant will also go towards outreach efforts, to help uninsured people who are already eligible for state medical assistance access the program.
There are currently an estimated 30,000 children in Kansas who are eligible for the state insurance program but aren't enrolled.
Funding for health care coverage on KCUR has been provided by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City.
Download recent health stories or subscribe to the KCUR Health Podcast