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Minutes for HB2240 - Committee on Government Efficiency
Short Title
Requiring legislative approval of any medicaid state plan, state plan amendment, demonstration or waiver that expands coverage or increases cost to the state.
Minutes Content for Tue, Mar 11, 2025
Vice-Chair Murphy opened the hearing on HB 2240.
Proponents:
Brian Sikma, Visiting Fellow, Opportunity Solutions Project (OPS), provided testimony supporting this commonsense measure to ensure that major policy changes in Kansas’s Medicaid program receive direct legislative approval before they take effect. (Attachment 1)
Lori Feldkamp, President & CEO, Big Lakes Developmental Center, Inc., provided testimony supporting the bill. Oversight by the legislature to ensure that community voices are heard, and reasonable ideas are taken into consideration and implemented is still needed. (Attachment 2)
Rachel Banning, Chief Executive Officer, Rainbows United, testified in support of the bill. She asks for support to ensure that state agencies do not impede the already challenging lives and work of our intellectual and developmental disability community. (Attachment 3)
Jim Huber, parent of a person with a disability, urges simply that you support the passage of this bill. It contains a needed charge which requires that changes to the Kansas IDD system be reviewed and approved by the legislature before they may be implemented. (Attachment 4)
Matt Fletcher, Executive Director, Interhab, supports this bill. We believe that the language amended into HB2240 and SB161 is still relevant and needed. (Attachment 5)
Rachel Neuman, Chief Operating Officer, COF Training Services, Inc., provided testimony in support of the bill. She stated that they hold a core belief that no changes should be imposed on an individual’s life without their direction. (Attachment 6)
Proponent conferees stood for questions and discussion.
Proponent written only was submitted by the following:
Melanie Jacobs, parent of a person with a disability (Attachment 7)
Anita Raghaven, parent of a person with a disability (Attachment 8)
Cammie Funston, parent of a person with a disability (Attachment 9)
Kay Soltz, parent of a person with a disability (Attachment 10)
Melissa Reeder, Director of CDDO Administration, Big Lakes Developmental Services (Attachment 11)
Pat Leon, parent of a person with a disability (Attachment 12)
Cassandra Lofing, Case Management Director, Big Lakes Developmental Services (Attachment 13)
Jerry Michaud, Chief Executive Officer, DSNWK (Attachment 14)
Laura Ritterbush, Chief Executive Officer, Goodwill Industries (Attachment 15)
Kevin Fish, Chief Executive Officer, Ability Point (Attachment 16)
Liz Holle, Deputy Operations Officer, Big Lakes Developmental Services (Attachment 17)
Eileen Doran, Executive Director, TARC (Attachment 18)
Chad Vonahnen, Executive Director, JCDS (Attachment 19)
Opponents:
Sean Gatewood, co-administrator, on behalf of the KanCare Advocate Network, spoke in opposition to the bill. (Attachment 20) Impending the agencies’ ability to amend Medicaid and its seven HCBS waivers without legislative consent restricts Kansas from complying with federal requirements, in a timely manner.
Heather Braum, Senior Policy Advisor, Kansas Action for Children, testified in opposition to the bill. (Attachment 21) There is concern that when the legislature is not in session, the medical assistance program will no longer be able to quickly pivot to complex programs when the federal government releases new rules.
Marissa Alcantar, Policy and Advocacy Specialist, Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, testified against the bill. (Attachment 22) She stated this bill will slow down the system and make it more cumbersome to administer.
Sara Hart Weir, Executive Director, Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities (KCDD) has several key components that make the bill problematic for Kansas with IDD, families and caregivers in the sunflower state. (Attachment 23)
Christine Osterlund, Deputy Secretary of Agency Integration and Medicaid Director, KDHE opposes the bill. (Attachment 24) She states this bill would prevent the Kansas Medicaid program from complying timely with new federal regulations and put the program at risk of losing millions in federal funding.
Laura Howard, Secretary Kansas Depart. For Aging & Disability Services, testified in opposition to the bill. (Attachment 25) She stated the 60% federal funding match is at risk for all HCBS Waivers. For all seven current HCBS Waivers, the federal share in FY24 was $626,042,546.
Mike Burgess, Director of Policy & Outreach at the Disability Rights Center of KS, provided opposition testimony. (Attachment 26) He stated this bill will have a negative impact on the ability of KDADS to amend HCBS Waivers in a timely manner.
Opponent Conferees stood for questions and discussion
Written testimony in opposition to the bill was submitted by the following:
Nathan Madden, Policy Impact Strategist, Health Forward Foundation (Attachment 27)
Tanya Dorf Brunner, Executive Director, Oral Health Kansas (Attachment 28)
Dena Hubbard, KS Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (Attachment 29)
Charlie Hunt, Director, Johnson County Department of Health and Environment (Attachment 30)
Jenny Tatman, Assistant Director, Thrive KS (Attachment 31)
Vice-Chair Murphy closed the hearing on HB 2240.
The next meeting is 3-12-2025. The meeting was adjourned at 10:22 am.
