(Feb. 10, 2023) – Yesterday, the House Social Services Budget Committee recommended the following adjustments to the governor's budget recommendations for fiscal years 2024 and 2025:

• $20 million State General Funds to hospitals in rural opportunity zones to be delivered by the agency based on uncompensated care numbers
• $1.7 million all funds, including $687,000 SGF, to extend to Medicaid adult dental coverage for dental and partials
• $500,000 SGF to WyJoCare
• $338,846 for the Stan Clark Pregnancy Maintenance Initiative
• $5.1 million, $2 million SGF to increase the complex medication code to meet 80 percent of durable medical equipment rates
• Delete $671.4 million, including $71 million SGF for Medicaid expansion
• Add $1.4 million in aid for local government health departments
• Add $10.8 million, including $4.3 million SGF, to increase the Medicaid physician fee schedule by 5 percent
• Add $5 million all funds and $2 million to SGF to increase ground ambulance rates to 100 percent of rural Medicaid rates
• Add $5 million all funds and SGF for primary health care projects and community-based grants
• Transfer $938,756 from the SGF for the Tobacco Use Prevention Program from the JUUL Settlement Funds

There was an attempt to add proviso language to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's budget that would require the agency to remove any language in any of their materials or advertisements saying that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. That motion was not adopted.

The committee is scheduled to meet next week.