Kansas Stories: Mary

March 2026

Mary has spent her career as a lawyer working in cities across the country. She eventually settled in Overland Park, where she now focuses on housing and health law in a semi-retired role. As a lifelong advocate, Mary understands the importance of accessible health care and believes it should be easy to access.

Mary adores her grandson and is confident he will grow into a successful person. She helps care for him when she can, supporting his mother, who works at a restaurant. While Mary isn’t able to babysit all the time, she does what she can to help.

Several members of Mary’s family rely on Medicaid, including her grandson, his mother, and his other grandmother, who has a disability. Her grandson’s mother serves as the primary caregiver for both her son and her own mother, balancing those responsibilities with her job. Mary recognizes how challenging this is, and admires how she has managed everything.

Mary is concerned about potential changes to Medicaid redetermination (renewal) requirements in Kansas. The Kansas Legislature is currently considering a new law that would require caregivers with Medicaid health coverage to renew that coverage four times each year instead of once per year.

With multiple family members depending on coverage, Mary worries that additional paperwork and stricter requirements will be overwhelming.

“My grandson’s mother is a young woman, starting out her life, and she’s had a lot of hardships already,” Mary said, “and she’s still determined to make a better life for herself and her son.”

She emphasizes that her grandson’s mother isn’t asking for favors, but needs support during a difficult time. She works and is caretaker for others, and accessing health care is critical for her family.

More frequent renewals could make it harder for Mary’s family members to maintain coverage, putting her grandson’s mother’s health, and the wellbeing of those who depend on her, at risk.

As Mary puts it: “[I don’t] want to make his life harder by making things harder for his mother.”