by James Jordan, Sumner Newscow — Hospitals and the expansion of Medicaid was the main issue at the Legislative Forum held in Wellington, Saturday morning. Local health officials took legislators to task over their not expanding medicaid in Kansas as they oppose the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.

Steve Abrams

Sumner County representatives Kasha Kelley and Kyle Hoffman, and State Sen. Steve Abrams, all said they believe it would end up costing the state a lot more if they approved the expansion.

Kyle Hoffman

Terry Deschaine, a member of the Sumner Regional Medical Center Board, said it would mean $700,000 or more for the Wellington hospital, and he noted Wellington is one of the rural hospitals in the state in danger of closing.

Deschaine also brought up a bill, called “Bridge to a Healthy” Kansas, which is floating around Topeka as an alternative, that would give some expansion and get more federal dollars into the state.

Kasha Kelley

Deschaine said it answered all of the Governor’s objections to expansion. He also questioned why the bill could not get a hearing at the committee level.

Kelley said the reason is that they fear full blown expansion of Medicaid might pass the House and they believe that would be bad for the state in the long run;

Abrams noted numbers from the Hospital Association’s lobbyists that said while it would be budget neutral the first year, it would cost the state $18 million and more in subsequent years.

Deschaine said there would be costs but there would be greater savings.

There was some discussion of numbers, and it seems both sides of the issue have different numbers and different interpretations of what might happen if Medicaid were expanded.

The plan would provide more health care for people who are working but cannot afford insurance. It would help healthy people, those the working poor, as Deschaine described them. He questioned a survey Hoffman sent out asking if constituents favored expanding coverage for health people, and he called that a misleading question.

Hoffman later said he did not think his question was unfair.

He said there is also the “Woodwork Effect.” In other states when Medicaid is expanded, a lot more people sign up than anticipated which makes costs go way up.

Kelley, who is from Arkansas City, noted that the hospital there is struggling, but she added that when the new one was built there were predictions that there would be the mess they are in today.

Kelley said they are talking about that bill, and other possible solutions. She said the biggest thing is to avoid doing something too fast and finding unintended consequences.

“We are watching other states to see what is successful. This is a budget buster in a big way for years to come if we get it wrong,” she said.

Another objection to expanding medicaid – which would allow Kansas to get more federal money – is that they don’t trust the federal government to actually send the money. They noted that in the past promises have been made that have not been kept.

She said she realizes people want to get things done, but she wants to make sure they get it right first.

Deschaine pointed out there is a survey that shows 76 percent of Kansans favor expansion of Medicaid.

Earlier in the forum, a county official brought up the tax lid bill, which would make local cities and counties put matters to a vote if they raise property taxes.

Even though cities and counties oppose this, Abrams said they support it because 90 percent of Kansas people support it.

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In other topics, a teacher from South Haven said she and other educators feel like they are under attack from Topeka. She pointed to the Supreme Court decision that said school funding is not adequate, and noted tenure has been removed from teachers, and AP classes are in danger of being taken away from schools.

“We don’t even know if we will have school next year,” she said.

Kelley said the reports of the media in this area, and in other areas, is often misleading.

“It is meant to cause acrimony,” she said.

She added she has heard from people who like Common Core and people who do not like it. She said the problem is that it is being applied differently in different areas, and that is a problem.

Kelley said legislators do not want to get rid of Advanced Placement classes, and she said legislators want to take the best of Common Core, but not all of it.

She said there is more agreement in Topeka on education than what is being presented.

She said she would not vote for Common Core as it now stands, but she said it does need to be discussed.

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