Topeka ? State health policy officials want Congress to make it easier for Medicaid recipients to prove they are U.S. citizens and entitled to benefits.

Members of the Kansas Health Policy Authority said Tuesday the backlog of applicants seeking health benefits was declining, but additional resources would be needed to improve the process and prevent lapses in coverage.

Since new federally mandated rules took effect July 1, the authority estimates between 18,000 and 20,000 of the 308,000 Kansans on Medicaid and the state’s children’s health program have lost coverage. However, it is expected that 70 percent of those low-income Kansans ultimately will prove their citizenship and get benefits.

Kansas will spend $2.2 billion in federal and state funds on Medicaid this year, with the state’s portion totaling $750 million.

Andrew Allison, deputy director of the authority, said the backlog of applications awaiting verification initially grew rapidly, but additional staff hours had helped to reduce the load. Still, additional resources will be needed to further reduce the backlog and make sure eligible Kansans are covered.

“I think that states are still in the early stages of understanding the impact,” Allison said.

The authority is asking the Legislature to appropriate additional funds to hire more staff.