A recent review of Medicaid eligibility in Kansas found that about 47% of those who lost state health insurance are children under 18 years old.

According to a report, out of the 75,532 Kansans who lost coverage, 24,673 were kids aged 0-12, and another 10,632 were aged 13-18.

Heather Braum from Kansas Action for Children highlighted the serious consequences of gaps in health insurance. She mentioned that even short gaps in coverage can prevent children from getting needed prescriptions or seeing a doctor when they're sick.

“These numbers show that many Kansas children likely don’t have the protection that health coverage offers. This could lead to worse health in the short and long term, and families might face high medical costs and debt. Having health insurance during childhood can make a big difference in a child’s life,” said Braum.

The review process for Medicaid, known as “unwinding,” started in April 2023 to reevaluate who qualifies after federal protections during the COVID-19 pandemic ended.

During the pandemic, Medicaid coverage couldn’t be ended unless someone moved, died, or asked to stop getting benefits. Because of this, the number of people in KanCare, Kansas’ Medicaid program, grew from 410,000 to 540,000.

At the beginning of the unwinding process, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) faced challenges like confusion about signatures, slow mail delivery, and unclear information about renewing coverage.

In May and June 2023, the KDHE help line got over 37,000 calls from people looking for information. Some people missed the deadline to renew their coverage because the mail was slow.

Even though KDHE added more staff and resources to speed things up, thousands of Kansans still need to reapply for coverage. Right now, they don’t have health insurance until their coverage is reinstated. The Kansas Health Institute shares detailed data about which counties lost coverage using a map you can click on.

New data shows that 318,791 people in Kansas will keep their coverage, but another 75,420 people have to reapply because they missed the deadline to get their coverage back. Braum wants KDHE to do more to reach out and educate families, especially those who can still get their coverage back.

Share On :