Capitol Comments Articles
House Social Services Budget Committee Hears KDHE Budget

KDHE (Jan. 27, 2025) – Today, the House Social Services Budget Committee met to discuss the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Division of Health budget. The committee, chaired by Representative David Buehler (R-Lansing), reviewed the agency budget as proposed by the agency, as proposed by Governor Laura Kelly and as assembled by the Legislative Budget Committee. The Kansas legislative research staff gave the committee an overview of enhancements and changes in the agency budgets, including those for fiscal year 2025:

  • Health Inspections Enhancement request of $2 million
  • Gainwell contract increase of $4.8 million State General Funds
  • $6.0 million for electronic pre-admission screening and resident review to help with long-term care options and placements
  • $16,820 for epidemiologists positions
  • $13.8 million for immunizations grants
  • $7.7 million for Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Funds
  • $6.9 million for the Strengthening Public Health Grant
  • $2.6 million for all other adjustments

FY 2026 enhancements requested include:

  • $1.0 million for IT security upgrades
  • $2.0 million for health inspection increases
  • $2.3 million for infectious disease prevention to backfill federal loss
  • $70,639 epidemiologists positions
  • $504,978 for local public health programs
  • $2.0 million electronic pre-admission screening and resident review to help with long-term care options and placements
  • $5.0 million State General Funds for Gainwell contract increase
  • $12.9 million for centralized managed care organizations, with 11.5 million in one-time costs
  • $1.5 million partial hospital services at Children's Mercy Hospital

Other changes included:

  • Deleting $5.0 million for in-patient behavioral health observation and transportation program
  • Additions for the childcare health and safety grants
  • Medicaid expansion, as proposed in Governor Kelly's budget funds, consisting of a positive $78 million to the State General Fund.

KDHE Secretary Janet Stanek and staff members also appeared before the committee to review the agency budget. The committee will hold public testimony on the KDHE budget on Tuesday.