by Ed Trimmer, State Representative 79th District — Medicaid expansion has been a very misunderstood issue in Topeka.  It involves using largely federal money to provide expanded health care coverage for more than 150,000 Kansas citizens.   These citizens work but make too much money to qualify for the current Kansas Medicaid program, and at the same time, do not earn enough to qualify for insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

Ed Trimmer

Here are some of the compelling arguments that I believe indicate we should expand Medicaid and accept federal money.

• Currently, the only avenue for the more than 150,000 individuals, who do not have insurance, is to avoid going to the doctor until they are seriously ill or injured. At this point they use local emergency rooms.  Critical access hospitals cannot refuse to treat them and must absorb that cost.  These hospitals must either take a loss or pass these costs on in the form of higher fees for the rest of us.  Neither of these alternatives makes moral or financial sense.

• The Kansas Hospital Association and many other health care advocacy groups disagree with the Governor and ultra-conservative legislators who refuse to discuss this issue.  These medical groups believe Medicaid expansion would help to save small and rural hospitals.  They also argue that it would bring billions of dollars to the state to help our medical sector, provide jobs and help reduce costs for everyone.

• The federal government would pay for 100% of the cost of Medicaid expansion for the first three years and 90% of the cost, thereafter. Remaining costs could be absorbed by the current Medicaid program, which could be accomplished by making changes within the KanCare system and would not require an additional state appropriation.

• The federal money actually comes from Kansas taxpayers and would just be returned to the state for the purpose it was intended. Without Medicaid expansion, the money would remain in Washington and the 150,000 working Kansans, who cannot afford health care, would continue without coverage.  The rest of us would continue to pay federal taxes and higher medical costs, while our small and rural hospitals close.  This is not a smart financial decision.

• While some may want to blame “Obamacare”, the 150,000 working Kansans without health insurance coverage are not a consequence of “Obamacare” but a consequence of the State of Kansas refusing to access the federal dollars that Kansas taxpayers have paid to the federal government.

Once again, we have not been allowed to have a floor debate on the issue, even though polls indicate that more than 60 to 70 percent of Kansas citizens support Medicaid expansion and/or expansion of health care coverage for working poor Kansans.  Once again, I believe it is time for the Kansas Legislature to get on with the process of governing and stop avoiding important issues for the purpose of campaign posturing.

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