Why should we talk about Medicaid Expansion?
As a special education teacher, I often collaborated with mental health services. Many of my students received mental health counseling during school hours, along with prescription medication. One student relied on these daily services until his mother took on an additional part-time job. When she reported her increased income, their mental and general health services, as well as medications, were terminated.
The assumption is that once someone meets the income requirement, they can afford to buy insurance...
The assumption is that once someone meets the income requirement, they can afford to buy insurance through their employer or the Marketplace. However, many small businesses do not provide insurance, leaving people to purchase it via the Marketplace. For a family of three, the Medicaid income guideline is set at $9,037. How anyone can afford family coverage on such a low income is the question we should be addressing. Through utilizing Medicaid Expansion we would be able to allow that student to continue receiving the mental health services they are needing, while helping change the trajectory of their life for a more positive outcome.
The effect of expansion.
Medicaid expansion would enable approximately 150,000 additional Kansans, including children, to receive essential services. Currently, over 45,000 Kansans fall into the Medicaid Coverage Gap, families and individuals earning too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough for financial assistance to purchase insurance through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. With the 1.54% that is deducted from every paycheck for Medicaid, it's time we started receiving the benefits of Medicaid expansion.
