Brownback vetoes Medicaid expansion

March 30--TOPEKA -- Gov. Sam Brownback has vetoed a bill that would expand Medicaid in Kansas, potentially setting up another showdown with the Legislature.

In his veto message, Brownback said the bill doesn't meet his three criteria for evaluating expansion: that the plan should eliminate a waiting list for disability services, be budget neutral and include a work requirement.

He also said the bill would lead to an increase in funding for Planned Parenthood.

"The cost of expanding Medicaid under ObamaCare is irresponsible and unsustainable," Brownback said in his veto message.

Brownback said it is unwise to undertake "such a drastic change to our Medicaid system" in Kansas while Washington continues work to overhaul the Affordable Care Act.

"Despite lack of Congressional action last week, The White House and House leadership have restarted negotiations on legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act," Brownback wrote.

The act, also known as Obamacare, allowed states to expand eligibility for Medicaid to cover people who earn too little to buy insurance through the federal health care exchange but too much to otherwise qualify for Medicaid.

The federal government pays for 90 percent of the expansion costs for states that extend Medicaid coverage to people at up to 133 percent of the federal poverty line. Some 150,000 Kansans could join Medicaid under expansion.

The Senate approved the bill 25-14 and House passed it 81-44. To override a veto, supporters need 27 votes in the Senate and 84 votes in the House.

The pro-expansion group Alliance for a Healthy Kansas said the Legislature can override the veto and called on Kansans to call their lawmakers.

"We're disappointed, but not shocked & this isn't the end," the group said on Twitter.

The House and Senate were set to gavel in at 10 a.m. Thursday. Any override effort will begin in the House, and any lawmaker can move to override.

Jonathan Shorman: 785-296-3006, @jonshorman

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