Bidding is now open for contractors vying to run the Kansas Medicaid program. Those chosen will oversee health care for hundreds of thousands of Kansans starting in 2025. Nearly $4 billion is at stake in the KanCare renegotiation process. Officials will select three organizations to manage health care for more than 400,000 Kansans who are low-income, elderly or disabled. Representatives with the advocacy group Alliance for a Health Kansas, say state listening sessions highlighted shortcomings with the current system, saying a lot of the KanCare members voiced a need for increased access to behavioral and mental health care.
It’s the first time a Democrat will oversee bidding since former Republican Governor Sam Brownback privatized Medicaid a decade ago. Last year, the GOP-controlled legislature pushed back the process by one year, but Democratic Governor Laura Kelly won reelection. Bidding closes in January and officials will announce KanCare contractor awards in April. The three organizations that currently run the program are expected to reapply, along with at least one new applicant.
