TOPEKA — Kansas’ request to put a three-year “lifetime” cap on Medicaid benefits has been turned down.
Officials with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have said care limits, including the one proposed by Kansas back in October, could hinder people trying to be healthy and dig out of poverty, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal.
The state received criticism for the proposal, which was part of the KanCare 2.0 framework as part of the state’s plan to update its Medicaid program. Kansas then agreed to withdraw that specific line proposal.
While the benefits cap is not moving forward, the Trump administration has apparently found favor with a separate request to add a work mandate for able-bodied residents — although Kansas hasn’t been formally added to the list yet. The Kansas plan would have certain people working at least 20 hours a week to be eligible for KanCare services. Exempt from this requirement would be pregnant women, people with disabilities, people in long-term care and people with children under age 6.
