Kansas

Kansas governor, farmers look at rural health care through Medicaid expansion scope – Kansas Reflector

Published

1 year ago

November 9, 2023

Kansas governor, farmers look at rural health care through Medicaid expansion scope – Kansas Reflector

MANHATTAN — Greeley County Health Services project director and Wallace County farmer Chrysanne Grund says challenges woven into health care delivery in sparsely populated areas of Kansas were often revealed at a personal level.

“We know all our patients by first and last names,” Grund said. “We know those who don’t have insurance, who may be spending exhorbinant amounts every month on out-of-pocket costs.”

She said hard-working folks in frontier counties in western Kansas — Greeley and Wallace counties are two of the least populated in the state — struggled to afford preventative and emergency care, while hospitals and clinics serving those populations absorbed realities of uncompensated care, low patient volume and intense competition for physicians.

One piece of the solution, she said, would be for Kansas to expand eligibility for Medicaid for as many as 150,000 low-earning Kansans — just as the four neighboring states have done.

“Medicaid expansion would add to the economic stability of our health system,” Grund said.

Gov. Laura Kelly, who has championed Medicaid expansion, invited Grund and others with insights into the agricultural economy Wednesday to an informal discussion of rural health care access at offices of the Kansas Farm Bureau in Manhattan. It was among stops on Kelly’s statewide tour to encourage the 2024 Legislature to debate and vote on a Medicaid bill.

In 2017, the Legislature approved Medicaid expansion but the measure was vetoed by Republican Gov. Sam Brownback. The House adopted an bill in 2019, but the Senate didn’t consider it. Kelly and the Senate’s majority leader, Jim Denning, crafted a Medicaid expansion bill in 2020, but it stalled. GOP leadership of the House and Senate have maneuvered since then to thwart expansion legislation aimed at providing affordable, accessible care for the working poor in Kansas.

“They’re in the food service industry. They’re in home health care. They’re in day care,” Kelly said. “They’re doing the jobs that are absolutely essential, but don’t provide employee-based insurance.”

Kelly said the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform estimated 60 of 104 rural hospitals in Kansas were at risk of closing. During the governor’s Medicaid expansion tour in Pittsburg, Topeka, Overland Park, Salina, Winfield, Garden City and Wichita that began in September, the Herington Hospital was closed and a Fort Scott emergency facility operated by Ascension Via Christi was shut down.

Affordability crisis

Thad Geiger, a farmer and former banker in Doniphan County in northeast Kansas, serves as chairman of the Kansas Board of Agriculture. In advance of the forum, he made a few calls to gather ideas from others about access to health care and potential of Medicaid expansion.

“Expanding Medicaid is great. More healthy people is better,” he said. “But the whole system is just so messed up. We’re giving blood to the patient, but we’re not healing.”

He penciled out the distinction between securing private health insurance of the past and doing that in today’s marketplace. He said there was a time when a farmer could spent 10% of gross income on a family health insurance policy, which might consume annual profit on 30 acres to 50 acres of crops.

In contrast, he said, one of today’s young Kansas farmers with a spouse holding down a public-sector job had to confront an annual $24,000 health insurance bill that carried a high deductible. It could cost farm profit from several hundred acres of crops to pay that annual cost, he said.

Nick Levendofsky, executive director of the Kansas Farmers Union and a crop-and-cattle farmer in Republic County, said expansion of Medicaid would funnel hundreds of millions of dollars in federal and state funding into the Kansas health care system.

The reform would help individuals avoid health care debt and reduce the level of uncompensated care provided by hospitals and clinics, he said.

“But, most importantly, it would preserve and strengthen these rural communities,” he said.

Mental health gap

A&H Farm owner Andrea DeJesus operates a business in Manhattan that markets vegetables and fruit while also engaging in row crops, livestock and agrotourism. She said there was a significant unmet need across rural Kansas for mental health services, which would be part of an expanded Medicaid initiative.

“I see problems with mental health,” said DeJesus, a point driven home by others on the panel. “I don’t think there’s enough support for that, especially in the farming industry. It’s such a mental job.”

Erin Petersilie, assistant director of Kansas Farm Bureau Health Plan, said 16,000 people had signed up for KFB coverage since the Legislature adopted a law several years ago allowing marketing of plans that didn’t conform to the Affordable Care Act. She said consumers would get around to asking questions about pregnancy and emergency care or the nuts and bolts of how the program worked.

“Mental health — you might be surprised — that’s the No. 1 question that I get when somebody calls,” she said.

Matt Splitter, a fifth-generation farmer in central Kansas, said steps had to be taken to move care and treatment beyond mental health hotlines.

“When it becomes a tragedy, it’s too late,” he said. “How are we being proactive?”

He said the health care system — through Medicaid and other means — had to appreciate the reluctance of farmers to seek mental health treatment in their own community. While some people prefer telemedicine options, he said others would seek face-to-face care. For some, that would mean travel to distant cities to see a specialist. The stigma of not looking mentally weak was still that strong, he said.

“I wouldn’t be caught dead with my pickup in front of a counselor in my hometown,” Splitter said.

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Related Topics:Featured Gov. Laura Kelly Medicaid expansion

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Kansas

Quick recap: KU ground game too much for Colorado

Published

7 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Quick recap: KU ground game too much for Colorado

Devin Neal put Kansas on his back with four touchdowns on his Senior Day as the Jayhawks rolled past #16 Colorado 37-21 for their third straight ranked win. Kansas kept its bowl eligibility hopes alive heading into its final game of the season.

Neal rushed for 207 yards on 37 carries and added 80 yards through the air. Jalon Daniels completed 14 of his 21 passes for 189 yards, and the defense made enough plays to come out with a win.

First quarter

Kansas got on the board first, relying on Devin Neal. He got the Jayhawks going on the ground before taking a quick pass out of the backfield for 51 yards to the house. Neal got four touches on six plays as Kansas took an early 7-0 lead.

The dream start continued for the Jayhawks as the defense forced a three-and-out. Kansas bottled up two screens before Shedeur Sanders missed Travis Hunter on third down, and Colorado punted.

The Jayhawks had to settle for three points on their next drive, but they controlled the clock over a 7:46 possession. Sevion Morrison got five carries while Daniels picked up 20 yards on a scramble. The drive eventually stalled, and Tabor Allen hit a 24-yard field goal.

Colorado got its offense going on its second drive. Sanders completed three passes as the Buffaloes drove into Kansas territory.

Second quarter

The Buffaloes drive quickly came to an end after Tommy Dunn stopped Dallan Hayden in the backfield for a loss on third down. The Jayhawks stopped the run again on fourth down, taking over at their 41 yard line.

Kansas took complete control, going down the field with ease. Daniels converted a third down with his legs, and found Trevor Kardell for a 23-yard pickup to put the Jayhawks into the red zone. Neal got into the end zone from nine yards out to give Kansas a 17-0 lead with 9:02 to play in the first half.

Colorado broke into the scoring column in quick fashion. Sanders picked up 17 yards on a scramble, then hit Hunter on a screen, who took it 51 yards for a touchdown.

Morrison picked up a 15-yard run before Neal gained 47 yards on a wildcat carry to get the ball into the red zone. However, Kansas wasn’t able to get into the endzone, with Allen hitting a 23-yarder to extend the Jayhawks’ lead to 20-7.

The Buffaloes inched closer as Sanders looked impressive. After a low, late hit, Sanders completed passes of 16, 25, and 19 yards. Drelon Miller made a pair of tough catches, including the 19-yard touchdown to cut Kansas’ lead to 20-14.

Kansas saw a positive two-minute drill, but once again had to settle for a field goal. Daniels picked up 31 yards on a QB draw and Neal got the Jayhawks into the red zone. However, Daniels threw incompletions on second and third and goal from the two. Allen made a 25-yard field goal to give Kansas a 23-14 lead heading into the half.

Third quarter

Colorado got a 43-yard kickoff return to open a touchdown drive to put the Buffaloes right back in it. Sanders connected with Hunter for another touchdown, this time he was left open for a 26-yard touchdown to make the score 23-21.

Kansas went on a 10-play drive, getting whatever it wanted on the ground. Neal continued to run with his head on fire, picking up multiple 10-plus yard carries. He scored his third touchdown of the day, eventually getting into the end zone after three carries from inside the five to give the Jayhawks some breathing room, 30-21.

The Jayhawks defense got a stop for the first time in a while to help Kansas continue to build momentum. Dean Miller made a pair of big plays, stuffing a jet touch pass and getting pressure to Sanders as Kansas sacked him for the first time. Colorado punted, giving the Jayhawks the ball at their own 30.

Kansas’ offense continued to get whatever it wanted. The Jayhawks dialed up a couple of nifty plays to their tight ends. Daniels made a play with his legs again, picking up 12 yards before hitting Neal out of the backfield for 15 as Kansas drove into the red zone at the end of the quarter.

Fourth quarter

Neal put the team on his back, rushing five straight times to get in the end zone for his fourth touchdown. He picked up a fourth-down conversion before getting into the end zone from two yards out to give Kansas a 37-21 lead with 11:47 to play.

Colorado drove into Kansas territory, but the Jayhawks defense bore down and forced a turnover on downs. The drive took 5:25 off the clock as Kansas looked to close in on another ranked win.

Kansas ran out the remaining 6:22, relying on Neal to close out the game.

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Kansas

Colorado vs. Kansas prediction, odds, best bets for NCAAF Week 13

Published

16 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Colorado vs. Kansas prediction, odds, best bets for NCAAF Week 13

No. 16 Colorado will face off against Kansas at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium today at 3:30 p.m. EST. Despite the Buff’s star power on both sides of the ball, our data model likes the Jayhawks’ chances to pull off the upset — our best for today is Kansas +2.5 (+102).

Ahead of this Big 12 matchup, the data analysts at Dimers.com have simulated the game 10,000 times, and then compared these results to current NCAAF betting odds to inform the data-driven betting preview provided to you below.

This preview includes Dimers’ best bets and predicted scoreline for Colorado vs. Kansas. To unlock Dimers’ full suite of data-driven betting insights, which includes daily props, trends, and parlays, sign up for Dimers Pro with promo code SYRACUSE10, which will save you 10% off your first subscription payment.

Bet365 is fully legal in Colorado, making this the perfect time for Buffs fans to claim huge betting bonuses with our brand new exclusive bet365 bonus code “SYRACUSE”, while sports fans in New York State can take full advantage of our NBA League Pass FanDuel promo code. Additionally, bettors are encouraged to check out this exclusive promo offer from DraftKings and the latest deal from BetMGM.

Colorado vs. Kansas betting preview

Utilize the interactive widget below to discover the current spread, total, and moneyline odds and probabilities for the Colorado-Kansas matchup at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

This prediction and best bet for Saturday’s college football matchup between Colorado and Kansas is from Dimers.com, a trusted source for sports betting predictions.

Check out all the important details on today’s game, as well as the best odds sourced from the top sportsbooks in the country.

Game details

Key information on the Colorado vs. Kansas matchup, including where the game is and what time it kicks off.

Teams: Colorado vs. Kansas
Date: Saturday, November 23, 2024
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. EST
Location: GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
NCAAF rankings: Updated AP Top 25
College football news: Check the latest updates from the official NCAA football news site

Odds

The latest and best odds for the college football showdown between the Colorado and Kansas.

Spread: Colorado -2.5 (-105), Kansas +2.5 (+102)
Moneyline: Colorado -135, Kansas +126
Total: Over/Under 59.5 (-108/-110)

The odds and lines presented in this article are the best available from selected sports betting site at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Expert prediction: Colorado vs. Kansas

Using state-of-the-art data analysis and machine learning, the experts at Dimers have executed 10,000 simulations of Saturday’s Colorado vs. Kansas game.

According to Dimers’ independent predictive analytics model, Colorado is more likely to defeat Kansas at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. This prediction is based on the model giving Colorado a 56% chance of winning the game.

Elsewhere on the betting board, Dimers predicts that the bookmakers have got it right and Colorado and Kansas each have a 50% chance of covering the spread, while the 59.5-point over/under is also considered an equal 50-50 chance of hitting.

These predictions and probabilities are correct at the time of publication but are subject to change.

Colorado vs. Kansas best bet

Our top pick for the Colorado vs. Kansas game on Saturday is to bet on Kansas +2.5 (+102).

This expert betting advice is based on cutting-edge modeling and valuable wagering intelligence, designed to assist you in making more informed investments.

Score prediction for Colorado vs. Kansas

Dimers’ projected final score for the Colorado vs. Kansas game on Saturday has Colorado winning 30-28.

This expert prediction is based on each team’s average score following 10,000 game simulations, offering a glimpse into the potential outcome.

College football Week 13: Colorado vs. Kansas

Get ready for Saturday’s college football action between Colorado and Kansas at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium, which is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. EST. We emphasize that all of the college football predictions and college football best bets on this page are derived from 10,000 data-driven simulations of the Colorado vs. Kansas matchup, and they are correct at the time of publication to help you make better decisions when placing bets at online sportsbooks.

Please note that when engaging in online betting, it is important to exercise responsible gambling practices and seek reliable sources for the latest and most accurate information.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mac Douglass | Special Correspondent

Mac Douglass is the Senior Sports Betting Editor at Cipher Sports Technology Group. In addition to covering the sports betting industry for several news sites across the US, Mac provides Formula 1 analysis and betting tips for Dimers, and tennis commentary for Stats Insider.

Ryan Leaver | Special Correspondent

Ryan Leaver is a highly experienced sports betting digital content producer for Cipher Sports Technology Group. He boasts an impressive writing portfolio, contributing to prominent platforms like Dimers, Fox Sports, Stats Insider, and Triple M.

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Kansas

Travis Hunter responds to Kansas’ Cobee Bryant after trash talk episodes

Published

24 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Travis Hunter responds to Kansas’ Cobee Bryant after trash talk episodes

Kansas Jayhawks defensive back Cobee Bryant has made it clear he’s been anticipating this weekend’s matchup against the No. 16 Colorado Buffaloes. In an interview earlier this week, Bryant openly expressed his excitement to face Colorado’s two-way star Travis Hunter. “I’m not going to lie, I have been waiting,” Bryant said. “I already marked this on my notes… I’ve been waiting on this game all season. This is gonna be the game.” His eagerness spilled over onto social media, where he posted, “Now I’m piss hurry tf up Saturday I meant that omm bet,” highlighting his impatience for the showdown.

Despite Bryant’s bold trash talk, Hunter has kept a calm and confident demeanor. During a livestream, he responded to questions about Bryant, saying, “We let people talk, bro. Would that make him feel better? It’s going to make him feel better, let that boy talk. They know they are going to have to double team.” Hunter’s composed reply suggests he’s more focused on his game than engaging in verbal sparring.

Deion Sanders meets up with coaching legend before Kansas matchup

Bryant’s trash talk hasn’t been limited to Hunter. The Kansas defensive back also took aim at Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, reportedly texting him and drawing a response from the Buffs’ leader. Sanders, unshaken, has hinted at exploiting Kansas’ coverage, adding fuel to the growing tension. This back-and-forth has only energized the Buffaloes, who are vying to strengthen their College Football Playoff resume.

For Kansas, this game represents a golden opportunity to make a statement by taking down a CFP-ranked opponent. A win would allow the unranked Jayhawks to end their season on a high note and potentially climb the rankings themselves. Colorado, meanwhile, has its sights set on maintaining momentum. A win over Kansas, followed by another against Oklahoma State, would propel the Buffaloes into the the Big 12 title game and keep their playoff hopes alive.

The stakes are high and the stage is set at Arrowhead Stadium. The clash between Kansas and Colorado promises to be intense, with kickoff scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.

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