Working families in Kansas need more help right now, not less. Everything is more expensive these days, and health care costs are skyrocketing, even for those with good health insurance.
But recently Congress made the biggest cut in history to Medicaid, which will cause thousands of Kansans to lose health care and harm hospitals and communities in Kansas — especially in rural areas.
It’s not possible to make a cut this large without terminating health care for Kansans who get care through our Medicaid program, KanCare. Low-income children, seniors, people with disabilities, and pregnant women will see the biggest impact of these cuts.
These cuts hurt all Kansans, not just those who get care through Medicaid. Kansans who get health insurance through the Marketplace will see skyrocketing costs, and those with Medicare will likely see cuts as well.
Kansas Stories: Shelley
Shelley grew up in South Central Kansas and now lives in Lawrence. In 2014, Shelley noticed her husband, Kirk, was having significant issues with confusion and memory. Over time, his condition worsened. He experienced hallucinations, insomnia, and late-night wanderings. After his condition worsened, Shelly realized she could not safely care for him in their home anymore, so she made the difficult decision to place him in a memory care home. For the first year Shelley paid $7,250 each month for Kirk’s care, depleting their savings. Eventually she was able to get him approved for Medicaid. Shelley does not know how she would afford to care for her husband without Medicaid.
“It’s scary to feel like, ‘Am I going to be able to maintain and stay in my house while also keeping my husband in his housing?'” she said.