Long-term care residents and providers in Kansas are in the midst of some potentially very positive developments as the State undertakes some major changes to the way Medicaid applications are processed. Over the last several years, the Kansas long-term care community took some serious hits due to a severe backlog of Medicaid cases, which caused numerous residents to go without Medicaid coverage and providers to rack up hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid bills. Those affected by these issues in the Sunflower State did not take it sitting down and it appears the powers that be were listening to their cries.
Recognizing the complexity in processing certain categories of Medicaid claims, including long-term care cases, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) is taking back the responsibility for processing these cases in an effort to address the backlog and other processing issues. These duties had previously been farmed out to a private, third-party contractor and there has been much debate over their role in the backlog. During the last quarter of 2019, all long-term care Medicaid cases will be transitioned back to KDHE, with a goal of completing the transfers by December 31, 2019. A transition this large will certainly have some wrinkles that need to be ironed out, so if you are experiencing issues securing Medicaid coverage for your residents, or to learn more, please contact us.
