Rural Kansas Relies Heavily on Medicaid, Report Reveals

TOPEKA, Kan. — A new report from Georgetown University‘s Center for Children and Families highlights the critical role Medicaid plays in rural Kansas, where a significant portion of residents depend on the program for health care coverage. The findings come as Congress considers potential cuts to Medicaid, which could disproportionately affect small towns and farming communities.

According to the report, 32.3% of children in rural Kansas are covered by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), compared to 28.7% in urban areas. Additionally, 11.9% of seniors in rural areas rely on Medicaid, slightly higher than the 11.3% in metro regions. “Medicaid is really the backbone of so many aspects of our health care system, from birth to long-term care,” said Joan Alker, executive director of the Center for Children and Families.

Ken Anderson, president and CEO of Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System, emphasized the program’s importance. “A disproportionate share of seniors, moms, and children in our area receive health care through Medicaid,” Anderson said. “Without it, many families would face dire economic and health consequences.”

The report also underscores Medicaid’s role in supporting rural hospitals. At Kearny County Hospital in Lakin, more than half of all births are covered by Medicaid. Without this funding, access to prenatal care and other essential services would be severely limited, potentially leading to worse health outcomes for mothers and babies.

April Holman, executive director of the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, noted that Medicaid is a stable revenue source for rural hospitals. “This report makes clear that Medicaid ensures access to health care when and where we need it,” Holman said.

Potential cuts to Medicaid could have far-reaching effects, Alker warned. “States will be left holding the bag, and it’s an absolutely untenable situation,” she said. “This is going to impact education, transportation, roads, law enforcement—everything in the state’s budget.”

Anderson, a self-described conservative, expressed concern about the unintended consequences of cuts. “We’re only going to send people into the emergency department and spend more federal money in Medicare to offset it,” he said. “There are ways to incentivize work and healthy families, but this ain’t it.”

As debates over Medicaid expansion and funding continue, the report serves as a reminder of the program’s vital role in rural communities. “Medicaid serves an invaluable role in the same rural communities that often oppose its expansion,” said Clay Wirestone, opinion editor for Kansas Reflector. “Caring for those in need transcends creed or party.”