Subcommittee backs multiple home‑and nursing‑care additions aimed at keeping Kansans in homes and stabilizing facilities

The Ways and Means subcommittee approved several related items intended to keep older Kansans and people with disabilities in community settings and to shore up facility capacity.

Nursing Home Without Walls: Senators approved a $600,000 one‑time add to expand a nursing‑home‑in‑the‑home pilot that funds remote monitoring, telehealth and supports intended to keep participants at home. Supporters said replacing nursing‑home days with in‑home services saves Medicaid dollars (sponsor cited $18/day in‑home costs versus $300/day in nursing homes in committee remarks) and cited examples of residents who moved home with monitoring technology in place.

Medicaid capacity payments: The committee added $29,300,000 SGF (approx. $75,000,000 all funds) for nursing facility capacity payments for fiscal year 2027. Sponsors said previous capacity payments helped stabilize providers and slow closures; staff noted the line item has appeared in recent budgets and is not COVID-era spending.

HCBS fee waiver overages: Lawmakers approved a $19,000,000 SGF add (about $49,000,000 all funds) to cover Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS) fee waiver overages and to formally establish a wait list; proponents said the waiver lets many older Kansans remain at home and avoids costly nursing placements.

Committee discussion probed distribution, historical funding levels, and whether these are ongoing obligations. Senators emphasized that failing to invest could force later, larger Medicaid expenditures if people enter institutional care. All three items passed and are in the subcommittee package for conference.

Next steps: staff will incorporate the provisos into the budget package and the committee will revisit remaining provisos in tomorrow’s session.