Medicaid expansion moves forward in Kansas as federal vote looms

March 23--Kansas state lawmakers advanced a Medicaid expansion proposal on Thursday even as Congress prepares to vote on a bill that could halt states from expanding the program.

Supporters of expanding KanCare, the state's privatized Medicaid program, said the debate in Kansas can't be dictated by Washington. Opponents urged lawmakers to wait until the federal health care debate progresses.

The Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee passed the expansion proposal, House Bill 2044, on a voice vote. The bill now heads to the Senate floor. The committee chairwoman, Sen. Vicki Schmidt, R-Topeka, predicts the Senate will debate the bill.

Medicaid is a federal program administered by the states that provides health insurance coverage to disabled and low income people. The bill passed by the Senate panel would increase income eligibility for the program to 133 percent of the federal poverty line -- $24,600 for a family of four.

The U.S. House is expected to vote late Thursday on legislation that would significantly change the federal health care law. The bill may take away a provision in current law that provides for the federal government to pay 90 percent of the cost of expansion. States pick up the other 10 percent.

Final negotiations over the bill were still ongoing in Washington on Thursday, however.

"If you can predict what's going to happen in Washington, that would be great if we could be sure what's going to happen. But in the meantime, we have to move ahead as a state," Schmidt said.

Sen. Jacob LaTurner, R-Emporia, voted against the plan. He called on lawmakers to wait before making decisions that could cost the state a lot of money.

"I think we are being hasty to not wait and see what happens in Washington," LaTurner said.

Jonathan Shorman: 785-296-3006, @jonshorman

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