KanCare overhaul plan may change, GOP lawmaker says

Kansas is likely to change its current plan to overhaul the state’s Medicaid program, called KanCare, a high-ranking Republican lawmaker said Wednesday.

“I can tell you that KanCare 2.0 as we currently know it probably no longer exists the way it did,” said Rep. Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican who chairs the House Health and Human Services Committee.

The program serves more than 400,000 Kansas residents, but has been plagued by delays in application processing and oversight failures that the federal government said could endanger recipients. Postponing its overhaul or changing the proposal could mark a defeat for Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer, who is running for governor.

Colyer spearheaded KanCare’s creation in 2013 and has been advocating for KanCare 2.0. A spokesman for Colyer would not comment Wednesday afternoon.

Hawkins would not offer further details.

Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration does not now need legislative authorization to move forward with KanCare 2.0. But the Legislature could pass a bill requiring legislative approval or input.

Last week, a group of Republican senators expressed concerns with KanCare just before Brownback delivered his State of the State address. They said they are hesitant to move forward with the overhaul.

“We believe there is still work to do to stabilize KanCare 1.0 and that there is no certain path forward for KanCare 2.0, at this time,” said the senators, which included Senate President Susan Wagle, Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning, Senate Health chairwoman Sen. Vicki Schmidt and Senate Ways and Means chairwoman Sen. Carolyn McGinn.

The KanCare 2.0 proposal rolled out by Brownback’s administration this fall includes a work requirement for Medicaid. Kansas would be among the first states in the nation to implement such a requirement. The federal government only recently began clearing states to put in place work rules.

The Brownback administration implemented KanCare in 2013. The administration has pointed to reduced costs in the $3.4 billion program even as some patients voice continuing frustrations with care.

KanCare 2.0 calls for multiple pilot programs designed to improve care for individuals with disabilities, children in foster care and others.

Under KanCare, companies called managed care organizations contract with the state to provide health coverage.

A year ago, CMS denied a temporary one-year extension of the program, saying the program was “substantially out of compliance” with federal law and regulations, after investigators reviewed the program in October 2016. The agency approved a one-year extension after Kansas took steps to correct problems found by CMS.

This story was originally published January 17, 2018 at 3:47 PM with the headline "KanCare overhaul plan may change, GOP lawmaker says."