(April 24, 2023) – Last week, the Bob Bethell Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services and the KanCare Oversight Committee, chaired by Senator Beverly Gossage (R-Eudora), heard from individuals, providers and organizations including the following:

• Shannan Flach, Kansas Hospital Association, highlighted credentialing and prior authorization issues, as well as financial losses and how administrative burdens are impacting processes. She reported on how other states manage fee increases for Medicaid programs and offered to make additional details available to the committee.
• Colin Olenick, Self Advocate Coalition of Kansas, emphasized a need for self-advocates to be at the table when new managed care organization contracts are being considered.
• Craig Knutson, Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities, highlighted the intellectual and developmental disabilities wait-list for services and workforce needs.
• Roxanne Hidaka, Targeted Case Management Services, discussed financial management services providers providing billing services. Hidaka emphasized a need for the Kansas Department for Children and Family Services to be able to answer calls and gave examples of breakdowns in state institutions.
• Emily Tallman, private citizen, talked about the protected income limit. Tallman discussed how the protected income limit has been beneficial and requested the medically needy be added to the protected income limit increases passed in other cases.
• Scott Lopez, occupational therapist, Alliance Rehab and Medical Equipment, thanked the committee for the additional funding. However, his organization is suspending services as of May 1. He mentioned concern from the community as to where these kids will get equipment following May 1.
• Matt Fletcher, Interhab, discussed MCO contracts, expressing a need for increased transparency and modernized systems.
• Haely Ordoyne, Kansas Adult Care Executives, thanked the committee for the increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates, highlighted communication issues and requested more streamlined processes for determinations.
• Sean Gatewood, KanCare Advocates Network, invited the committee to watch some of the testimony being received by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. He discussed engaging the disability communities on workforce issues.
• Holly Creamer, regional director, Kansas Behavior Supports.
• Shonda Anderson Atwater, director of apprenticeships, Kansas Department of Commerce.
• KanCare Ombudsman Kerrie Bacon.
• Steven Anderson, Medicaid inspector general, suggested performance audits on the following:
  • Eligibility determinations for Medicaid beneficiaries on the Transitional Medical Assistance Program
  • Medicaid beneficiaries with multiple identification numbers
  • Medicaid beneficiaries who have moved out of Kansas

  These reports are due in May. Anderson suggested his agency has opened an audit at the request of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment on the topic of prior authorization.

• Updated provided by state agency leadership for the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and the MCOs.