By Dave Ranney
KHI News Service
TOPEKA, Dec. 4
The Kansas Health Policy Authority is planning to protest a new rule that requires Medicaid beneficiaries to show proof of citizenship.
“We have got to have this revisited,” said the health authority”s executive director, Marci Nielsen. “Clearly, there have been unintended consequences.”
Nielsen said she has asked members of the Kansas Legislature”s joint Health Policy Oversight Committee to lobby the state”s Congressional delegation in February.
“A lot of us will be there already for a National Academy for State Health Policy meeting, so it makes sense to meet with them then,” Nielsen said, referring to the six-member delegation.
Last month, Nielsen and her staff revealed that as many as 20,000 needy children and pregnant women are expected to be kept from the state”s Medicaid and HealthWave rolls because they do not have the needed documentation.
The law is intended to keep illegal immigrants from receiving welfare benefits. But Nielsen said it”s become clear that most of those affected by the changes are Kansas residents who, for a variety of reasons, do not have copies of their birth certificates.
These denials, she said, are sure to drive up the state”s health-care costs.
“These are people who are just going to show up in our emergency rooms, they”re people who need help accessing the health-care systems,” Nielsen said. “And in this instance, they”re being denied that access because of what”s essentially a paperwork jam.”
Earlier this week, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius expressed similar concern.
Another consequence of the new law: The number of calls, faxes and filled-out forms reaching the state”s processing center in Topeka has skyrocketed. Applications that once took 15 to 20 days to process now take almost 45 days.
Because the mandate caught the state unaware, there”s no money in the budget for additional staff to offset the increased workload at the processing center.
Sen. Laura Kelly, D-Topeka and a member of the Health Policy Oversight Committee, said she”s willing to make the trip to Washington.
“This is an important issue,” Kelly said. “All of us, I think, are aware that this rule has been one of unintended consequences. I”m especially concerned about the kids because that”s who we”re really talking about here.”
Before committing to the trip, Kelly said she wanted to “look at the logistics. Sometimes you can do these things from here and sometimes you need to go there.”
Dave Ranney is a staff writer for KHI News Service, which specializes in coverage of health issues facing Kansans. He can be reached at
dranney@khi.org
or at 785-233-5443, ext. 128.