Today, we’re publishing candidates’ responses to the following question:
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, Kansas is one of 10 states that have not expanded Medicaid in the more than a decade since the Affordable Care Act took effect, and it has remained one of our readers’ top issues every election cycle since. Projections suggest expanding Medicaid would allow roughly 150,000 Kansans who can’t currently afford health coverage to be insured. Do you support expanding Medicaid in Kansas? Why or why not?
Below are the answers the Post received from candidates on the issue:
District 11
Karen Thurlow (Democratic)
Expanding Medicaid is the right thing to do because it increases access to healthcare for lower-income individuals and families who otherwise might not be able to afford it.
By broadening eligibility, Medicaid expansion ensures that more people can receive essential medical services, including preventive care, which can lead to better health outcomes and reduce long-term healthcare costs. When people have access to regular healthcare, they are more likely to catch and treat conditions early, which decreases the need for expensive emergency room visits and hospitalizations.
Additionally, expanding Medicaid helps address health disparities by providing coverage to underserved communities, which promotes equity in healthcare access. Medicaid expansion also strengthens local economies, as healthcare providers receive payment for treating a wider pool of patients, creating jobs and supporting community health systems.
Ultimately, Medicaid expansion is a step toward ensuring that healthcare is a basic right, not a privilege, and it benefits both individuals and society as a whole.
Kellie Warren (Republican, incumbent)
I believe we can improve Medicaid in a fiscally responsible way by getting it to the people who need it the most. In the state of Kansas, we currently have over 7,000 physically and intellectually disabled Kansans who are on Medicaid waiting lists because the current system doesn’t have the capacity to serve them. We need to increase funding for these waiting lists and improving access to Medicare to those who need the most. And I supported improving the reimbursement rates which will make a difference for many people.
I have serious concerns about expanding Medicaid like other states have done because of the long-term budgetary ramifications. For six years in a row, we have balanced the budget while fully funding our public schools without raising taxes and made investments in public safety and modernized infrastructure. Doing a wide-scale Medicaid expansion will put Kansas at risk for a budget shortall, which is not good for taxpayers or our schools. My district cares deeply about tax relief – especially property tax relief and about future budget shortfalls that would make a reduction in taxes nearly impossible.
