HUTCHINSON, Kan. – During a community briefing on Medicaid Expansion this afternoon, those speaking at the event made it clear that expanding Medicaid in Kansas is something they feel is the right thing to do.
They argue that Medicaid expansion would bring in $400 million into Kansas each year which will reduce the number of uninsured Kansans by 50 percent.
Dr. Timothy Crater with the Hutchinson Clinic talked about how many people that become sick could have been taken care of earlier, but because they are not insured, it rises to a critical situation.
And he says this is a tremendous cost not only to hospitals like Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, but the entire state of Kansas.
According to numbers released by the Kansas Hospital Association, if Medicaid expansion were to happen and begin in 2017, it would generate a cost savings of $159.4 million and a net financial gain on $101 million.
Ken Johnson, President and CEO of Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System talked of the losses to hospitals including his own organization which he says with uncompensated care comes to around $22 million dollars. According to the Kansas Hospital Association, that will continue to be high with uncompensated care over $15 million, but with Medicaid Expansion, that would drop to just over $10 million dollars. Those numbers based on a 10 year average.
Governor Sam Brownback and Republican Legislators are opposed to any expansion, in fact voted it down in both Kansas House of Representatives and the Kansas Senate earlier this year. They fear that the federal government would at some point would not hold their end meaning Kansas would get stuck with the tab.
Cindy Samuelson with the Kansas Hospital Association says they would put in any legislation that if that were to happen, there is a poison pill. If the federal government doesn’t keep their end of the bargain, it all becomes null and void.
It should be noted that this would have no impact on the Kansas Budget. It would be budget neutral and Medicaid expansion has happened in 31-states and none have backed out of it thus far.