2020 Legislative updates - Kansas Medical Society

Expansion bill development, APRN discussion

This week, the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee made several changes to the Medicaid expansion bill, adjourning without further action. The amendments made to the bill include a work and education provision, a conscientious objection provision, and prerequisites that must be met before expansion could be implemented in our state.

More importantly though, the committee’s action makes clear that the expansion bill would likely continue to be delayed until issues related to the constitutional amendment on abortion are resolved. Proponents of the constitutional amendment argue that, if it is not passed, the state’s portion of expansion funding could be used on abortions.

Expansion bill delay, APRN roundtable

This week, the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee was expected to discuss—and potentially amend—the Medicaid expansion bill, SB 252. Instead, the committee will be seeking additional information pertaining to the expansion bill before moving forward with consideration of amendments.

Expansion, Hilburn, and Coronavirus updates

This week, the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee met for the first of three scheduled days to discuss the Medicaid expansion bill, SB 252. As a starting point, Committee Chair Sen. Gene Suellentrop (R-Wichita) invited Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt to brief members on the status of ongoing legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which provides for Medicaid expansion.

Expansion talks continue, Hilburn response bill

This week the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee continued the hearing on SB 252, Medicaid expansion, with opponents testifying on both Wednesday and Thursday. With the hearing concluded, the process of discussing the bill and debating potential amendments among committee members begins. If the bill is favorably passed out of committee, the full Senate will debate it and proposed amendments before potentially passing it to the House, where the process would repeat and continue.

KMS Legislative Update — Week 2

This week, KMS was among about 20 organizations to give oral testimony at the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee in support of Medicaid expansion. Among the others testifying were KDHE secretary Lee Norman, MD, Tom Bell, President and CEO of the Kansas Hospital Association, and Lynn Fisher, MD, on behalf of the Kansas Academy of Family Physicians.

Legislative update — Week 1

The 2020 legislative session began this week, highlighted by Gov. Laura Kelly’s State of the State address. In her 37-minute speech, the governor clearly indicated that her top priority this session is Medicaid expansion. She also signaled that she would continue to oppose tax reform proposals prioritized by Republicans. That sets up at least two points of contention between the governor and the Republican-controlled legislature.

Preview of the 2020 legislative session

On January 13, members of the Kansas Legislature will return to the Statehouse. KMS has spent the last several months preparing for the 2020 session and—as has been true for the last 40 years—we will be at the Capitol every day advocating for you and your patients. This promises to be a busy, complex session and several important health care discussions will be at the forefront.

Key to understanding which issues emerge and advance is the impact of the looming elections this summer and fall. In 2020, the entire legislature must stand for election—40 senators and 125 representatives. Nationally, Kansans will also cast ballots for the U.S. President, Vice President, one U.S. Senator and four U.S. Representatives.