Kansas committee hears argument to require legislative approval for Medicaid waivers and costly state plan changes

The Committee on Welfare Reform on the statehouse heard testimony on House Bill 2240, a proposal that would require legislative approval before any Medicaid state plan, state plan amendment, demonstration or waiver that expands coverage or increases state costs could be sought or implemented. Supporters said the bill would restore legislative oversight; opponents warned the measure could prevent timely responses to federal mandates and urgent health needs.

Proponents focused on process and cost. Brian Sigma, visiting fellow with Opportunity Solutions Project, said the bill would stop “unacceptable” unilateral changes by state agencies and cited Kansas’ continuous eligibility policy as an example. "Medicaid, as you know, is one of the largest expenditures in the Kansas state budget," Sigma said, arguing that waivers and state-plan amendments have been used to make major changes without a legislative vote. He told the committee Kansas data from the public‑health‑emergency redetermination showed 43.7% of enrollees were not approved for renewal and estimated that continuing coverage for people who no longer qualified has cost the state between $4,000,000 and $9,600,000 per year.

Advocates for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) pressed the committee to add language so the bill’s oversight would explicitly cover…