Kansas Health Institute News Service examines prospects for expanding health coverage in state

The Kansas Health Institute News Service on Monday in a series of articles examined prospects for expanding health coverage in Kansas this year.

Last month, lawmakers agreed to expand HealthWave, the state's version of SCHIP, to children in families with incomes up to 225% of the federal poverty level in fiscal year 2009 and to 250% of the poverty level in FY 2010. However, whether the state expands the program largely depends on whether Congress and the next president approve additional federal funds for SCHIP (Ranney [1], KHI News Service, 6/2).

According to KHI News Service, lawmakers told the Kansas Health Policy Authority at the end of the last legislative session that "it could help low- and modest-income families" purchase health insurance for their children. However, lawmakers did not appropriate any funds for the initiative. Rep. Bob Bethell (R), chair of the state House Special Services Budget Committee, maintains that the agency did not request any funding for the expansion. However, health authority officials said they told legislators that the initiative would cost $234,000 in FY 2009. Andy Allison, the deputy director of the health authority, said the state would not be able to expand the program without additional federal matching funds. KHI News Service reports that the "board's options include shelving the expansion, shuffling priorities within the agency's budget or asking for a mid-fiscal year appropriation" (Ranney [2], KHI News Service, 6/2).

KHI News Service also examined efforts by other states to expand SCHIP (Ranney [1], KHI News Service, 6/2).

KHI News Service reports that a $55 million loss in state revenue for this fiscal year likely "means little or no new spending" for health care expansions in the next legislative session. Several lawmakers said major developments could affect Medicaid, with the state looking to reduce or slow costs.

House Speaker Melvin Neufeld (R) said, "Given where the revenue estimates are, it appears next session it is going to be very difficult to do much," adding, "That doesn't mean changing the health system is dead. What that means is that progress will be slowed by the lack of capital." Other lawmakers said cost containment will be key to any health care proposals (Sheilds, KHI News Service, 6/2).