“As a result of not expanding Medicaid, we have left $7 billion...back in Washington D.C.,” Governor Kelly said. “Those are Kansas taxpayer dollars that we’ve sent to D.C. that should’ve come back for us to have expanded Medicaid to cover the 150,000 Kansans that would be eligible...and also to protect those rural hospitals.”

According to the Kansas Health Institute, federal incentives...would provide an estimated $509 million in savings to the state over two years if Medicaid was expanded to low-income adults...Those incentives would offset the equivalent of about eight years’ worth of net expansion state costs.

“[Small business owners] understand what it would do for their business because a lot of these small-business owners can’t provide health insurance,” she said. “They don’t have the revenues to do that. But, many of their employees would be eligible for Medicaid expansion and many of the small- business owners recognize the value of their employees having health insurance. It means they’re going to get their annual checkup. If they have a mental health issue, they’re going to address it. They’re going to do all those kinds of things that keep them healthy and productive and showing up to work.”

While rural hospitals across Kansas have closed or are facing challenges, locally, AdventHealth Ottawa had to temporarily pause its labor and delivery services this fall until the hospital could find board-certified obstetricians/gynecologists to operate the program. Until then, local families must travel to other hospitals to deliver their babies.

“Labor and delivery...just think of the risks that puts that pregnant woman in and that child,” Kelly said. “Not being able to deliver close to home...you know, babies decide to come when they decide to come. It’s not something you can schedule like a physical. You really need to have services close to home and what can happen is that labor and delivery happens without the expertise of your board-certified OB-GYNs. That’s putting mother and child in danger.”