Kansas patients in coverage gap face Medicaid issues - KCTV 5

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) - It can be the difference between life and death. About one hundred and fifty thousand people across Kansas still don't have health coverage for routine check-ups to emergency surgeries.

That's because the state still hasn't expanded Medicaid as part of the "Affordable Care Act".

That leaves a lot of people stuck in what's called the coverage gap. They're not poor enough to qualify for Medicaid but too poor to buy health insurance on their own.

The issue is bound to come up when lawmakers return to Topeka next year.

As the head of the Kansas City Medical Society Foundation, Karole Bradford has seen patients put off serious treatments that could mean the difference between life or death. She told us the story of one man losing his job because his diabetes got so bad he became disabled.

"Neuropathy is such that it cannot be restored so he was someone who was permanently disabled because he could not access care in a timely manner," Bradford claimed.

As expansion supporters explain, eventually those people have no choice but to seek emergency care in hospitals, and when they're unable to pay the bill, debt piles up for the whole system, eventually impacting prices for all patients.

"Uncompensated care is something that really gets passed onto everybody," Regan Cussimanio, University of Kansas Health System Director of Governmental Affairs, said. "Because those services then are increased costs to everybody. Because while we do eat the costs of those uncompensated services, those costs have to go somewhere."

Medication is expensive, now with Medicaid expansion those folks could pay for their primary care," Bradford added. "Get their medications and take them reliably, prevent those secondary chronic illnesses

Numerous bills to adopt Medicaid Expansion over the years have been voted down by the legislature.

In a statement, Republican House Speaker Dan Hawkins argued "Medicaid expansion extends services to able-bodied adults who either choose not to work or are already eligible for a free or reduced private healthcare plan and expansion passes that additional cost directly onto Kansas Taxpayers."

But supporters of Medicaid expansion in the Healthcare industry argue the proposals are affordable and work.

"Create a program that allows Kansas that fall into that gap of about 150,000 people and allows them to move into Medicaid expansion, find employment and then move out of Medicaid expansion," Cussimanio stated. 

Kansas House Speaker Hawkins added Republicans are focused at eliminating Medicaid waiting lists to ensure what he calls the "truly needy" get the services they need.

If passed, about 90% of the state's Medicaid Expansion costs would be covered by the Federal Government. Kansas is one of 10 states to still not adopt Medicaid Expansion.

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