(Feb. 17, 2023) – Today, the House Appropriations Committee discussed the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (Health) budget. The lengthy discussion included the $20 million that the subcommittee voted to include in the budget for hospitals located in the rural opportunity zones, as well as if these funds would be needed if Medicaid expansion is left in the budget. The committee decided to move the $20 million for rural hospitals to omnibus for a broader discussion later in the legislative session and changed the language removing Medicaid expansion, as proposed in the governor’s budget, to lapse the state funding if Medicaid expansion is passed in the 2023 session. The committee also voted to add language to require anyone receiving a COVID-19 vaccine to receive certain information including VAERS reporting information.

The committee passed the budget out as amended.