In January 2011, Governor Sam Brownback charged Lt. Governor Jeff Colyer, MD, and a working group of cabinet members with the task of fundamentally reforming Medicaid to improve outcomes and establish financial sustainability in the face of mounting uncertainty. The State of Kansas faced major challenges in its Medicaid program that require swift and effective policy changes to continue serving vulnerable Kansans.
Lt. Governor Colyer and the Working Group reached out to thousands of Kansans to help in the effort to reinvent Medicaid. The Administration sought public input through an open process that included a Request for Information, public forums in each congressional district, a web survey, stakeholder workgroups and countless individual meetings with consumers, advocates, and providers. (See Deloitte summary report.)
The vision statement outlined at the beginning of the process remains and was confirmed by the participation of Kansans from every corner of the state: To serve Kansans in need with a transformed, fiscally sustainable Medicaid program that provides high-quality, holistic care and promotes personal responsibility.
The documents and web pages linked below are made available for those who are interested in following the State of Kansas through its Medicaid Reform process.
Public forums were held in 2011 – Wichita, Topeka, Dodge City, Overland Park – during which consumers, providers and advocates were engaged in the Medicaid Reform process for the State of Kansas.
The State of Kansas Submitted a Section 1115 waiver to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services to provide the holistic, comprehensive care envisioned for KanCare. While parts of this 1115 waiver were approved, CMS and the State of Kansas continue to work towards integrating the 1915(c) Home and Community Based Service Waivers into this broader 1115 waiver.