(May 7, 2026) – Yesterday, the Bob Bethell Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services met for the first time following the 2026 legislative session.

The committee heard from Medicaid Inspector General Steven Anderson, who reported that in 2025, they processed 1,567 complaints, more than 1,300 of which were eligibility fraud. He also stated they have processed more than 500 complaints in 2026, which is ahead of last year's numbers. He provided an update on current audit work, including:

• Data sharing between the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Kansas Department for Children and Families;
• Self-attestation for pregnant women on Medicaid with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment; 
• Waivers and waitlists are used to clean up based on eligibility, and if the patients still qualify; and
• State the costs for dispensing fees for over-the-counter prescriptions and what it is costing Medicaid.

Inspector General Anderson also reviewed closed cases and answered the committee's questions.

Next, the committee next heard from KDHE staff, including Secretary Janet Stanek and Yvonne Case, director of operations for Medicaid. The committee heard about proposed increases in non-chain pharmacy dispensing fees and the possibility that more than 3,344 Kansans currently on Medicaid, including 1,900 children, may lose coverage due to certain HR1 immigration-status coverage changes. The agency also updated the committee on determination processes and inquiry metrics, as well as the out-of-state residency pilot program with Gainwell, which helps the agency flag recipients receiving Medicaid from multiple states.

The managed care organizations next presented financial updates and a pharmacy overview. The committee learned that spending in the KanCare population has increased by 11 percent since 2021, with the largest share in home and community-based services, nursing facilities, pharmacy and behavioral health, which together make up more than 50 percent of total program spend. The presentation also showed a decrease in inpatient services. Committee members questioned whether the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic model was delivering savings, studies showing GLP-1 cost savings in overall health care spend, network availability by MCOs of mobile sedation dentistry, and total administration in the capitation costs. View the financial presentations slides. View financial presentations slides from United, HealthyBlue and Sunflower, and the pharmacy presentations slides from United, HealthyBlue and Sunflower.

The committee also received updates from staff at the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services. The presentation covered federal changes, the South Central Regional State Hospital, contract staffing, the survey and certification process, community support waivers and waitlists.

Public comments to the committee were submitted by the following organizations and citizens:

• Karen Braman of the Kansas Hospital Association provided an update on the RHTP Centralized Credentialing Project
• Colin Olenick, Self Advocate Coalition of Kansas
• Jeffrey Whittier, Cottonwood, Inc., negative impacts of community support workers' caps and the need for a self-directed rate increase
• Meghan Shreve of InterHab expressed concerns about service capacity
• Erica Bates of Minds Matter expressed concern about discontinuing the Money Follows the Person program and asked for additional self-directed rate increases
• Heather Braum of Kansas Action for Children highlighted Kansas kids losing their insurance coverage
• Kristen Ada of the Kansas Home Care and Hospice Association asked for increases in home health Medicaid rates
• Mike Burgess of the Disability Rights Center emphasized pain points related to the community support workers cap for recipients of Intellectual and/or Developmentally Disabled waiver services
• Sean Gatewood of KanCare Advocates Network emphasized the need for Kansas to continue participating in the Money Follows the Person Demonstration Grant
• Tanya Dorf Brunner of Oral Health Kansas reported on additional funding outcomes related to dental rate increases
• Lola Kernell and Whit Downing of the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities express support for the Community Support Waivers, system modernization needs and the need for early intervention services in determining outcomes
• Citizens Kay Kemp and Tom Hastings emphasized the need for support for the Brain Injury Waiver

The committee spent the afternoon hearing testimony from the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.