The Effects of Medicaid Expansion under the ACA: Updated Findings from a Literature Review

A substantial body of research has investigated effects of the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on coverage; access to care and related measures (including utilization, quality of care and health outcomes, provider capacity, and affordability and financial security); and various economic measures. This issue brief summarizes findings from 324 studies of the […]

Federal Government Denies Utah Plan for Partial Expansion

By Sheldon Weisgrau | Aug. 8, 2019 Last month we wrote about interest from some Kansas legislators in the so-called “Utah model” of Medicaid expansion. Utah proposed a partial Medicaid expansion, in which coverage would be extended only to 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL) – $12,490 for an individual and $21,330 for a […]

Wichita Eagle: Letter to the Editor on KanCare Expansion

By Dr. Lee Norman, KDHE Secretary | Aug. 1, 2019 On July 30, 1965, President Johnson signed the bipartisan Social Security Amendments into law, creating Medicaid as the bedrock program providing health care access for low-income Americans. Today, Medicaid (known as KanCare in Kansas) is a lifeline for thousands of Kansans — particularly children, seniors, […]

Chanute Tribune: Push to expand KanCare crucial for rural hospitals

By Greg Lower | Aug. 1, 2019 Rural health officials are pushing to expand KanCare, the state’s Medicaid program, to cover nearly 150,000 additional people. Dennis Franks, Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center Chief Executive Officer, said rural health care in Kansas is facing a crisis, and expanding the program would not only help hospitals but […]

Pratt Tribune: Study lends support to Medicaid expansion

By the Editorial Board | July 30, 2019 A new study shows lack of Medicaid expansion in 14 states, including Kansas, has caused 15,600 deaths that likely would have been averted with full expansion. The study is the latest in a growing body of evidence that Medicaid expansion is a cost-effective way to provide health […]

It’s Medicaid’s Birthday – Let’s Celebrate by Expanding its Benefits to More Kansans

By Sheldon Weisgrau | July 30, 2019 Fifty-four years ago, on July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson traveled to Independence, Missouri, and signed the Social Security Amendments into law, creating the Medicare and Medicaid programs. These two programs – which passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan votes – have served as foundations of the health […]

Los Angeles Times: New data show that failing to expand Medicaid has led to 16,000 unnecessary deaths

By Michael Hiltzik | July 22, 2019 Adversaries of Medicaid expansion have always pointed to the lack of evidence that enrollment in Medicaid improves health and saves lives, and therefore the expansion is a waste. A new study should put that argument to rest, permanently. The researchers found not only that the expansion of Medicaid […]

Why Utah’s Partial Medicaid Expansion Should Not Be A Model for Kansas

By Sheldon Weisgrau | July 15, 2019 Over the course of the decade-long effort to expand Medicaid in Kansas, opponents have grasped at a number of gimmicks that impose barriers to providing health coverage to as many as 150,000 hardworking Kansans. The latest gimmick comes from the state of Utah, which recently received federal approval […]