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Issues in Health Reform

Even without expansion Medicaid enrollment changes coming to Kansas

Kansas is one of 7 states that has not yet made a formal decision about participation in ACA’s allowed expansion of the Medicaid program. (This is a good site for seeing the status of Kansas and other states re expansion.)  Regardless of whether or not Kansas expands Medicaid coverage, there are still changes that need to happen to make the process of applying comply with ACA, including new types of enrollment processes, basically linking Medicaid application with the Marketplace ones.

A recent and worthwhile publication out of the Kansas Health Institute details those changes.  As noted in the publications’ key points:

“1.  ACA adjusts how the state will enroll people in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and adds requirements for coordination with the newly created health insurance exchange.
2.  Kansas will shift to a single streamlined application for individuals to access Medicaid, CHIP and federal tax credits through the exchange.
3.  Kansas must provide a “no wrong door” application and enrollment process for Medicaid, CHIP and federal tax credits through the exchange so that individuals can apply online, by phone, by mail or in person and be referred automatically to the correct program.
4.  The ACA also requires the state to convert income-counting rules for Medicaid and CHIP applicants to a new federal standard that aligns closely with the rules used for federal tax credits through the exchange.”

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