Medicaid

The proposed ballot measure, if approved by a majority of Missouri voters, would make it more difficult for the state to reverse federal restrictions on Medicaid eligibility. The upcoming changes could cause 130,000 Missourians to become uninsured in the next decade.

The Center for Healthcare Quality & Payment Reform, a national policy organization, found 68 rural Kansas hospitals are at risk of closing, including 30 at immediate risk. Revenue isn’t keeping up with costs.

Kansas City elected officials are bracing for a challenging 2026 legislative session. Here’s what they hope to see passed — like World Cup funding — and what looks unlikely — such as local control of the KCPD.

Missouri received the ninth-largest award of any state from the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, part of the GOP spending law passed by Congress over the summer. But it still amounts to less than a third of what rural areas will lose from reduced Medicaid spending.

Researchers surveyed low-wage workers and found many report administrative burdens in signing up and keeping vital Medicaid and SNAP coverage.

Missouri leaders applied Wednesday to the $50 billion federal grant initiative, which Congress included in the spending package known as "One Big Beautiful Bill." Other cuts in the bill are expected to devastate struggling rural health systems.

Kansas tiene más hospitales rurales con riesgo de cerrar que cualquier otro estado, y los cambios federales podrían reducir aún más los ingresos. Sin embargo, un cambio en los impuestos estatales dariá a los hospitales un respiro de unos años para implementar estrategias a largo plazo.

Kansas has more rural hospitals at risk of closure than any other state. Changes at the federal level are further complicating the situation, leaving hospital officials planning for the future.

Kansas has more rural hospitals at risk of closure than any other state, and federal changes could further reduce revenue. However, a change to a state tax will give a few years' cushion for hospitals to implement long-term strategies.

Even as court cases seek to throw out the new redistricting plan approved in the special session, a referendum campaign to put it before voters is gaining momentum. At the same time, campaign committees are preparing to battle over the initiative process.

Health insurance premiums are expected to jump in 2026, and many Kansas City businesses say they’ll be forced to pass some of the increase on to employees.

New federal legislation has changed who qualifies for food stamps and health care benefits like Medicaid. Under President Donald Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill,' most refugees and people receiving asylum are no longer eligible.