Kansas House sends Medicaid expansion bill to Senate

Feb. 23--The Kansas House gave final approval to a bill to expand Medicaid, sending it to the state Senate.

The vote was 81-44 in approval.

Medicaid, called KanCare in Kansas, is the government insurance program for people with low incomes or who are disabled. Hospitals and health groups have pushed for the state to expand eligibility to more than 150,000 Kansans under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act.

The proposal would establish a health insurance program in Kansas for people who make less than 133 percent of the federal poverty level. The federal government would pay for most of the costs.

Rep. John Eplee, R-Atchison, said Medicaid expansion could be done responsibly in Kansas.

"There are thousands of hard working Kansans that deserve access to health care," he said.

Rep. Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, has opposed Medicaid expansion as the chairman of the health and human services committee in the House. He said Medicaid expansion did not make sense if the Affordable Care Act will soon be repealed.

"We know that Medicaid changes are coming," Hawkins said in a written explanation. "It will place a financial burden on taxpayers who are already under attack."

Rep. John Whitmer, R-Wichita, said Medicaid expansion would be costly and that he supported "better ways to deliver health care to the poor and needy."

"Obamacare is on the verge of repeal...this bill goes the other direction," he said in a written explanation.

Medicaid expansion had been tabled in a committee at the beginning of the week. It was added to HB 2044 on Wednesday. It got initial House approval by a 83-40 vote.

Daniel Salazar: 316-269-6791, @imdanielsalazar

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