Dive Brief:
- The Kansas Hospital Association reported the state missed out on more than $1 billion in federal funding this past weekend for not expanding Medicaid, and the total just keeps rising.
- Proposed legislation, the Bridge to a Healthy Kansas plan, would expand Medicaid coverage to those who fall into the healthcare coverage gap - about 150,000 residents, the Wichita Business Journa reports.
- Lawmakers, however, are hesitant to expand Medicaid due to concerns about increases to state costs.
Dive Insight:
Medicaid expansion has been a key legislative issue in Kansas, though efforts have failed so far. The latest attempt in March 2015 did not advance the bill because of an estimate citing the plan would cost the state $2.4 billion through 2025, the Witchita Business Journal reported.
There are currently 17 states opting not to expand Medicaid - many in the mid-West, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Virginia and South Dakota are currently discussing Medicaid expansion.
Coverage for Medicaid expansion became effective Jan. 2014 under the Affordable Care Act and CMS guidance. There is no deadline for states to implement the expansion.