TOPEKA – For Calais Sherry, Medicaid health care provided stability and peace of mind during her pregnancies.
Programs tied to the COVID-19 pandemic offered Sherry an unexpected lifeline through Medicaid, but that benefit expired in August. The 33-year-old Topekan’s return to life without health insurance has been challenging, given her reliance on mental health services for depression. Over the years, access to health care professionals through Medicaid has also helped her balance bills for housing, utilities and transportation.
“This is the longest I’ve been housed … on my own, paying the bills – I don’t owe anybody money. All my utilities are on,” she said. “When you lose your insurance, it’s not just about the money. It’s not about going to the doctor or getting your medication. It’s kind of a domino effect.”
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly brought her campaign for Medicaid expansion to a nonprofit behavioural health facility Tuesday to raise awareness of the potential if the Legislature expands Medicaid eligibility to about 150,000 people. Forty states and the District of Columbia have already agreed to extend health care to millions of the working poor, with the federal government picking up 90 percent of the expansion costs and the states the rest.
“We’re doing this ‘Healthy Worker, Healthy Economy’ tour to really raise the profile of Medicaid in the minds of Kansans across the state,” Kelly said. “It’s only the legislature that can make that happen.”
In Kansas, the House and Senate passed a Medicaid bill in 2017. It was vetoed by Republican Governor Sam Brownback. Kelly plans to submit her sixth expansion plan to lawmakers in January. The current GOP leaders of the legislature oppose bipartisan efforts to expand eligibility.
The stalemate means Kansas residents and health care providers are missing out on an estimated $66 million in monthly federal health care subsidies.
“When Kansans have health insurance, they’re more likely to get the care they need in a timely manner so they can continue to be present and supportive members of their families and communities,” Kelly said.
Andy Brown, Commissioner of Behavioural Health for the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, said the expansion would provide millions of dollars annually for community mental health programs across Kansas.
He said the Kansas Health Institute reported in January that Medicaid expansion would benefit an estimated 24,000 Kansans if the program added 108,000 adults. A separate analysis by Mental Health American found that 18% of adults with mental illness in Kansas were uninsured, compared with 11% uninsured nationally.
In Shawnee County, state officials said the expansion would make an additional 3,600 residents eligible for Medicaid. The infusion of $31 million in new annual health care spending would create an estimated 1,200 jobs in Shawnee County.
“Medicaid expansion will provide needed relief to address behavioural health issues and public safety concerns,” said Topeka Mayor Mike Padilla.
States that expanded Medicaid saw an average of more than 1,000 additional mental health visits at federally qualified health centres.
“We want to do our part to work with the entire health and human services system to get people back on their feet and on the road to recovery,” said Bill Persinger, chief executive officer of Valeo Behavioral Health Services. “If we can get Medicaid to continue to catch up, we will be able to balance our budget, move forward and continue to say ‘yes’ to everyone who comes through the door.”
Persinger said Medicaid expansion would inject $1.5 million into Valeo, which operates on a $25 million annual budget. He said 30% of Valeo’s 6,500 customers have jobs but no health insurance.
Sherrie Vaughn, executive director of NAMI Kansas, said people who couldn’t get mental health services because they were uninsured or underinsured too often ended up self-medicating.
“Nineteen percent of those who have a mental illness also have a substance abuse disorder,” Vaughn said. “They also find themselves not doing well in their homes with their caregivers. They find themselves leaving their home and they’re out on the street. The next thing you know, they’re in the county jail.
Jon Antrim, regional director for Global Medical Response, which includes more than a dozen air and ground medical transport operations in Kansas, said Medicaid expansion would ease the strain on the state’s system of first responders.
Adding people to Medicaid would mean more Kansans would have reliable access to primary medical care and wouldn’t turn to 911 as often, he said.
“About 70% of the calls we make are considered no-pay or low-pay patients within the city of Topeka,” he said. “The financial impact is about $4 million worth of uncompensated care for Topeka.”
