The KanCare program is the State of Kansas' Medicaid managed care program, which is provided to all Medicaid and CHIP consumers. Kansas has contracted with three health plans, or managed care organizations (MCOs), to coordinate health care for nearly all beneficiaries. The KanCare program began in January 2013. The Kansas Hospital Association is dedicated to assisting Kansas hospitals with the implementation of KanCare by providing resources and on-going information regarding the program. If you have questions, contact Shannan Flach.
The three selected three health plans, or managed care organizations listed above will partner with subcontracted organizations to help in providing certain sets of services. KanCare health plans are required to offer all current Medicaid services to beneficiaries who are enrolled in their plans. Additionally, as part of the KanCare program, each of the health plans will offer some extra (value-added) services to consumers at no cost to the State.
In 2018, the Kansas State Legislature added $2.5 million to the State General Fund for the specific purpose of reinstating the federal Medicaid Health Homes Option in Kansas for State Fiscal Year 2019. This program, called OneCare Kansas, will be more limited in scope than the previous Health Homes initiative and will be an “opt-in” option for Medicaid members who qualify to participate. The Health Homes provision was authorized by the Affordable Care Act, and provides a layer of support beyond the traditional Medicaid services to help improve outcomes for beneficiaries with chronic conditions.
November 2016 Report Brief - Understanding KanCare's continuing challenges and how these challenges impact the program's ability to meet its original rational and commitments.
November 2016 Full Report - KHA, KMS and KAMU engaged Leavitt Partners to evaluate the current health care delivery systems, how those delivery systems can be improved, and how they can be leveraged to improve the health and quality of life for Kansas residents.