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Kansas Reflector

7 stories

Federal Policy·KS·15d ago

Kansas Receives $16.8M Federal Grant for Rural Health Tech and Transport

Kansas will receive $16.8 million in federal funding to expand telehealth, AI diagnostic tools, and patient transportation in rural areas. The funds are part of CMS's $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program enacted in 2025, distributed across 14 organizations with $16.2 million for technology modernization and $780,000 for transportation coordination. The program was authorized through the One, Big Beautiful Bill Act, which also included $930 billion in Medicaid cuts over ten years.

State Policy·KS·27d ago

Kansas Republicans Challenge KDADS Reallocation of $24M Away From I/DD Waiting List

Kansas Republican lawmakers criticized the state Department for Aging and Disability Services for reallocating approximately $24 million in unspent funds originally intended to reduce the intellectual and developmental disability waiting list, which has grown to 5,357 people. KDADS instead transferred the funds to programs serving frail elderly Kansans ($19 million), individuals with severe brain injuries, and those requiring assistive technology. KDADS Secretary Laura Howard defended the action, stating the reallocation was endorsed through legislative oversight and that all legislatively authorized I/DD slots were filled, but lawmakers argued the move violated the intent of HB 2513.

State Policy·KS·31d ago

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.

State Policy·KS·33d ago

Kansas Pharmacist Reports Revenue Loss Under New PBM Transparency Law

Kansas pharmacist Will Anderson reports his Lawrence pharmacy is losing revenue following implementation of Senate Bill 20, which took effect in April 2026 after passage in March. The law bans spread pricing by pharmacy benefit managers, sets a floor for pharmacy reimbursement, and requires transparent reimbursement formulas based on actual drug acquisition costs plus dispensing fees. Anderson, who advocated for the law, expects the revenue loss to reverse as the industry adapts and says similar reforms in other states generated significant Medicaid savings — Ohio eliminated spread pricing and saved over $224 million in one year.

State Policy·KS·34d ago

Kansas Police Chief Credits CCBHCs for Reducing Crisis-Related Law Enforcement Calls by 45%

A Kansas police chief reports that Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics reduced crisis-related police calls in McPherson from 76 in 2022 to 42 in 2025, an over 40% decline. Protective custody placements dropped by more than 80%, and average hospital supervision time decreased by more than three and a half hours per incident. The CCBHC model deploys trained behavioral health professionals to respond to mental health and substance use crises, either at the scene or by accepting direct transport from officers, connecting individuals to care instead of detention.

State Policy·KS·34d ago

Kansas Diverts $24 Million From I/DD Waitlist Reduction as Backlog Hits 5,348

Kansas lawmakers confronted state officials after the Department for Aging and Disability Services shifted $24 million intended to reduce the intellectual and developmental disability waitlist to services for the frail elderly and brain injury populations. The I/DD waitlist grew to 5,348 in August 2026, exceeding statutory caps of 4,800 for FY2025 and 4,000 for FY2026. KDADS Secretary Laura Howard said the transfer, made with legislative consent, prevented waitlists from forming in other populations, and urged lawmakers to appropriate additional funding in the January 2027 session. The Legislature's Medicaid oversight committee expressed frustration over the failure to meet statutory requirements and provide a strategic waitlist reduction plan.

State Policy·KS·52d ago

Kansas Faces $20.6M Federal Penalty Despite Lower SNAP Error Rate

Kansas reduced its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) error rate below 12% following passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in 2025, but the state still faces a potential $20.6 million federal penalty. The penalty relates to error rate thresholds established under federal law. State officials have not indicated when the penalty determination will be finalized or whether Kansas plans to contest it. The development affects state budget planning and SNAP administrative operations.

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