Governor Kelly Tours HaysMed; relaunches 'Healthy Workers, Healthy Economy' Tour

Office of the Kansas Governor

Governor Laura Kelly today toured HaysMed in Ellis County as she relaunches the “Healthy Workers, Healthy Economy” tour.  Governor Kelly will be touring the state, meeting with Kansans to discuss the importance of Medicaid expansion before the Kansas Legislature returns at the end of the month.

When legislators return on April 26, senators will have the opportunity to bring Medicaid expansion to a debate and vote in the Senate.

“When they return on April 26, the Legislature will decide if they want to keep moving Kansas forward,” Kelly said. “By voting to expand Medicaid, Kansans in every corner of the state would have access to the affordable, high-quality health care they deserve.”

In January, Governor Kelly’s Cutting Healthcare Costs for All Kansans Act was introduced in the Kansas House and Senate.  The legislation would increase access to health care for 150,000 Kansans while injecting $1.2 billion in annual federal funding into Kansas’ economy and creating 23,000 new jobs.

The upcoming vote on Medicaid expansion comes after legislators met in March for a joint session of the Senate Ways and Means Committee and Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee and an informational hearing in the House Health and Human Services Committee.

More than 900 pieces of written testimony were presented in those meetings.

Edward Herrman, president and CEO of HaysMed, was one of the Senate conferees who spoke about the impact of not expanding Medicaid has on his hospital.

“As the HaysMed President and CEO overseeing healthcare delivery, I can attest firsthand to the critical need for Medicaid expansion," Herrman, said. “Our hospitals are on the frontline, serving those in need regardless of their ability to pay.

"Medicaid expansion isn't just a policy. It's a lifeline for countless individuals and families, ensuring they receive the care they deserve. We would like to thank Governor Kelly for her support in this critical initiative of expanding Medicaid for Kansans.”

This tour allowed HaysMed to further emphasize to legislators the need for Medicaid expansion and the impact access to essential health care services has on rural Kansans and the communities they represent.

The hospital invited legislators representing Ellis County and the surrounding area to the tour.

The most recent survey data from the Sunflower Foundation shows almost 70 percent of Kansans support Medicaid expansion. This includes a majority of Republican primary voters and 83 percent of small business owners.  

“I urge Kansans in every corner of the state to write, call, or meet with their legislators,” Kelly said. “Tell them Medicaid expansion must be debated and passed now. Let them know how critical this is for your family and your communities.”

This year was the first time Medicaid expansion had been given a hearing in four years.

Kansans can find contact information for their local legislator here.

The Chamber in Hays has scheduled a Legislative Coffee for 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the Hays Public Library.

During the last legislative coffee in March, Rep. Barb Wasinger, R-Hays, said she was not in favor of Medicaid expansion because she thinks spending on Medicaid would crowd out higher education funding.

Kelly said Thursday 90 percent of Medicaid expansion would be covered by the federal government. She said the expansion would not cost the state any additional money.

She said public education and transportation, two of the largest line items in the state budget, are funded, and medication expansion would not draw funds away from these programs.

The Hays Post contributed to this story.