(April 5, 2023) – Today, the budget-related conference committee held several rounds of discussions. Several health-related items have been agreed to including the following:

Kansas Department of Health and Environment

• Added language to exclude any hospital that is licensed as a rural emergency hospital from the Health Care Access Improvement Program assessment in fiscal years 2023 and 2024.
• Chose not to add language requiring KDHE to prioritize new determinations of Medicaid eligibility for admission to adult care homes before redetermination of continued eligibility.
• Added funding to increase the Medicaid physician fee schedule for a 3.0 percent increase.
  
• Added $800,000 for local health departments to distribute using the statutory distribution formula.
• Added $1.2 million for adult dental coverage to include dentures and partials in Medicaid.
• Deleted the language requiring local health departments to provide anyone who receives a COVID-19 vaccine or medicine to treat COVID-19 with the following information in writing: the ingredients of the vaccine or medication, the known risks or side effects and the most recent information from the federal vaccine adverse event reporting system.

Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services

• Added language directing the agency to reimburse providers the opioid use disorder services for all allowable purposes under federal guidelines.

Medicaid Inspector General

• $340k but no additional for full-time employees for the Medicaid inspector general's office.

Others

• Added language requiring all state agencies and contractors with the State to enroll and actively participate in e-verify for verification of employment eligibility.

Budget negotiations will continue throughout the day as they make their way toward the end of the week.