ICYMI: Hays City Commission Passes Resolution 
Supporting Medicaid Expansion in Kansas 

KEY QUOTE: "People are in that situation where they work but they don't make enough money to afford health insurance. Unfortunately, the burden of that falls on health care providers," [Grow Hays Executive Director Doug] Williams said Friday in a KAYS radio interview. "When somebody comes to the emergency room at Hays Medical Center, they're going to be treated but Hays Medical Center is not necessarily going to be paid." 

Hays City Commission passes resolution supporting Medicaid expansion in Kansas 
Becky Kiser, Hays Post 
December 18, 2023  

• The Hays City Commission unanimously passed a resolution Thursday declaring support for Medicaid expansion in Kansas.

• [The resolution] contained specific figures on how an expansion of Medicaid, known as KanCare in Kansas, would positively affect Hays, including health care for an additional 666 Ellis County residents. 

• Commissioner Mason Ruder said the statistics provided were eye-opening. It's estimated KanCare expansion would result in $5.7 million in annual health care spending in Hays and create 222 new jobs. "That's a lot of revenue for our city," said Mayor Shaun Musil. "If this helps, I'm for it."

• "The hospital here [HaysMed] is losing $5 million a year," said Reese Barrick, commissioner. "We have a really great hospital. But even it is struggling, so think of the smaller hospitals around western Kansas that could be closing down."

• Gov. Kelly's proposal contends insured individuals are more likely to get the physical and mental health care they need to join the workforce, care for their families and be productive residents.

• "We have an economic opportunity and most of the studies will show you the revenue portion to the state ends up revenue-positive," [Grow Hays Executive Director Doug] Williams said. "Most of the benefits economically of people being covered, people being able to work and therefore pay taxes, and on and on and on, outweigh what the cost to the state might be." Williams said health care is a significant part of the Ellis County economy.  "The numbers are overwhelming," he said. "They're particularly overwhelming in Ellis County for how important this would be economically."