(March 25, 2026) – Yesterday, the House and Senate conferees at the budget meetings agreed to finalize the budget including the following health items:

• Adding $3.7 million from the State General Fund to partially restore appropriations.
• Kansas State Board of Nursing transfer to the Nurse Fair Treatment and Recovery Fund.
• Adding $44,540 to the Board of Governors of the Kansas Health Care Stabilization Fund.
• Adding $218,619 SGF for 6.0 full-time employee positions for the Office of Inspector General to increase audits and investigations.
• Removing $1.0 million from the fund to reimburse counties and hospitals for patient observation and transportation expenses.
• Adding language to require reporting to the Office of the Ombudsman on involuntary discharges.
• Medicaid daily add-on rate for long-term care of $15/day.
• Adding $1 million for mobile sedation dentistry.
• Adding $56.5 million to CHIP.
• Adding $3 million for the Community Care Network of Kansas.
• Adding for contract staffing at state hospitals: $10 million for Larned, $2 million for Osawatomie.
• $22 million for the new South Central Mental Health Hospital.
• Deletion of funds for a certified community behavioral health clinic.

The final budget conference committee report will now go to the House and Senate for a final vote.