‘The dumbest thing Kansas has ever done’: Kansas gov. and GOP leader feud over failure to expand Medicaid

TOPEKA (KSNT) — Kansas is only one of 10 states that has yet to expand the Medicaid program, and Kansas Governor Laura Kelly is placing the blame on one Republican lawmaker.

On Thursday, Oct 29, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly (D) spoke at the annual “Kansas Economic Policy Conference.” There, she fielded questions from event attendees, and spoke in detail about her economic decisions during her eight years serving as the state’s chief executive.

During the conference, Kelly was asked about her thoughts on the state’s failure to expand the Medicaid program during her administration.

“I think it’s the dumbest thing that Kansas has ever done,” Kelly said.

When the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed by Congress and signed into law by former President Barack Obama in 2010, states were given a new opportunity to expand the Medicaid program. The expansion gives Medicaid eligibility to adults with incomes up to 38% higher than the federal poverty level.

A 2025 report from the Kansas Health Institute even projects that if Kansas were to become a Medicaid expansion state, more than 120,000 Kansans would become eligible for Medicaid.

“Not only has it hurt the people who would’ve been eligible for insurance under the Medicaid program but just financially,” Kelly said. “We have left over $8 billion dollars in Washington D.C that has gone out to Missouri for instance, Oklahoma. We are surrounded by states that are benefiting from our tax dollars. They didn’t stop taxing us just because we didn’t expand, they kept taking it and it didn’t come back here. It was really just a dumb thing.”

So why hasn’t Kansas expanded Medicaid?

“There is one person in the state really responsible for the fact that Medicaid isn’t expanded, and that would be the current speaker of the house,” said Kelly.

Dan Hawkins (R) currently serves as the Kansas Speaker of the House, a position he’s held since 2023. He hasn’t been shy about his opposition to expanding Medicaid over the years.

“We got so close so many times, but he [Hawkins] was absolutely determined not to allow Medicaid expansion to come to a vote because he knew it would pass,” Kelly said.

However, one policy expert tells our Kansas Capitol Bureau, he’s not so sure about that.

“No one person has been standing in the way of Medicaid expansion,” said Dave Trabert, the CEO of Kansas Policy Institute. “There are a lot of people in the state capitol who do not want to expand Medicaid.”

Additionally, our Kansas Capitol Bureau reached out to Hawkins to respond to comments from the governor. He provided the following written response:

“Governor Kelly is entitled to her opinion, but calling people names and assigning blame doesn’t change the facts. Medicaid expansion would create significant new obligations for Kansas taxpayers based on hopes and dreams that the federal government will maintain their share of the burden. I’ve never believed that adding more people to a government program is automatically the same thing as improving access to care. House Republicans have been focused on strengthening our health care workforce, supporting rural hospitals, and making sure that the truly needy Kansans who already depend on Medicaid can access the care they need. If the Governor wants to blame me for standing up for Kansas taxpayers and demanding responsible, sustainable health policy, that’s a responsibility I’m willing to accept.”

Kansas House Speaker Dan Hawkins (R)

When the ACA was passed, the federal government promised to cover 90% of funds needed to extend coverage. However, 10% of that financial burden goes to the states. Hawkins, as well as some policy experts, worry expanding Medicaid would be too much of a burden on state finances and Kansas taxpayers.

“Right now, the federal government says it will pick up 90% of the costs,” Trabert said. “That sounds good on the surface, but it’s turned out to be a pretty big strain on state budgets. Even though the feds are picking up 90% right now, with the national debt over $40 trillion dollars, it’s only a matter of time before that match goes down, and then the states would have to pick up a tremendous amount more.”

This topic could continue to be an ongoing debate at the Kansas Statehouse. States that have not expanded Medicaid, including Kansas, can choose to opt into the expansion at anytime.

For more Kansas Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here.