Letter to the editor: Expand Medicaid in Kansas

To the editor:

What’s the matter with Kansas? Missouri expanded Medicaid in October 2021, and South Dakota did so this past election by referendum. The voters in these two conservative states elected to join with the majority of others that have allowed Medicaid expansion since 2014. The remaining states that have not adopted this option are Wyoming, Texas, Wisconsin and the entire Southeast U.S.

Medicaid expansion was initially required by the Affordable Care Act, but later ruled to be optional by a court ruling in 2012. Whereas 39 states recognize the inherent value of expanding Medicaid, the state of Kansas has forfeited nearly 6 billion federal dollars since 2014. Moreover, five rural hospitals have closed their doors since 2010, and many more struggle to continue providing health care to their residents. The return of money to our state would prevent this erosion.

There are 150,000 hard-working Kansans who lack affordable health insurance because they earn too much to qualify for Medicaid ($8,700 annually for a single parent with two children), but not enough to afford premiums for traditional health insurance, or they have jobs that do not provide health insurance.

The benefits extend beyond the hospital walls. Medicaid expansion would deter the loss of jobs, employees, health care providers and hospitals due to our refusal to accept the taxpayer dollars from the federal government. Kansas does not have the option of a ballot initiative, so we must persuade our legislators throughout the state to enact the legislation to expand Medicaid for our citizens.

David Goering,

Lawrence

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