(Feb. 26, 2026) – Today, the House Appropriations Committee heard a presentation from Haely Ordoyne, state long-term Care Ombudsman. The Ombudsman provided an overview of their work and how they serve, including information and assistance, consultation, resident and family councils, community outreach and survey participation. They explained how the complaint process works and where complaints typically come from, noting that 58 percent come from residents, 24 percent from family and friends, six percent from the Ombudsman Program, six percent from facility staff and five percent from other sources. They also said they responded to 832 complaints between Oct. 1, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2025. The Ombudsman further categorized complaints by type, noting that the most common concerns are staffing and inadequate staffing. She reported that 63 percent of complaints are resolved, with 25 percent withdrawn or no action recommended. The Ombudsman highlighted to the committee that 61 individuals were subjected to involuntary discharges/eviction actions. The following policy solutions were highlighted:
- Increasing safe staffing standards;
- Investments in workforce development;
- Creating staffing formulas based on resident needs and the case mix index;
- Senate Bill 228, dealing with Supplemental Nursing Agencies Oversight, requiring notification to the Ombudsman office for all facility-initiated discharges, not only those in nursing homes;
- House Bill 2370 Memory Care Licensure and false advertisement of services;
- Expanding language to constitute a safe discharge to prevent unsafe and traumatic discharges to shelters, motels, hospitals or homes without adequate support;
- Find more alternatives to antipsychotic medications;
- Ownership and Transparency in Disclosure in Affiliations;
- A need for increased KDADS surveyor staff with multidisciplinary surveyor teams; and
- A needed increase to the personal needs allowance in Medicaid.
The Ombudsman also highlighted an example of a long-term care facility charging a resident $150 as a monthly service charge for not using the preferred pharmacy, citing the additional time and resources required for staff to process medications and ensure compliance. She suggested that conversations on this topic would continue into the next session.
Committee members asked how they help following a facility closure and presented a scenario in which a hospital is trying to recruit a patient from assisted living to long-term care, speculating that this may be because private pay is a better payment option and that facilities are increasing in assisted living for private pay. The topic of Medicare providers requiring patients to use large retail pharmacies over local pharmacies was also discussed. The committee members suggested that the rebates are increasing costs to Medicare and patients. The committee also asked about nursing home reimbursement rates.
The committee also discussed the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation – Pittsburg Regional Crime Center.
The committee is scheduled to meet again next week.