Kansas Advocacy Report Calls for Medicaid Rate Increase, Maternal Health Reforms
The United Methodist Health Ministry Fund released a report urging Kansas to raise Medicaid obstetric reimbursement rates for the first time in over 30 years and expand maternity care access in underserved areas. The report recommends increasing insurance coverage, expanding telehealth, creating regional care partnerships, and coordinating community-based providers to address workforce shortages and maternal mortality — which has doubled in 20 years and is 75% higher for Black women than white women. The assessment targets geographic and racial inequities affecting Medicaid beneficiaries and low-income mothers, who face higher mortality risk. Implementation would require state budget action and policy changes to sustain obstetric services in rural hospitals, many of which have closed maternity units in the past decade.