Governor vetoes bill to expand Medicaid to low-income adults in Kansas

Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback today vetoed legislation that would have expanded Medicaid eligibility to uninsured adults under age 65 who earn up to 133% of the federal poverty level. The Kanas Hospital Association supported the bill, which called for the state to submit a waiver request to the federal Department of Health and Human Services to implement the Bridge to a Healthy Kansas program by Jan. 1, 2018. “House Bill 2044 passed the Kansas Legislature by a strong majority vote in both the House and Senate,” the association said. “That vote was reflective of the more than 82% of Kansans who support the KanCare expansion effort. Governor Brownback’s veto ignores both the will of the people and the direction of the legislature.”