Kansas
New study ranks Missouri, Kansas among worst states for women’s health care: Here’s why
A comprehensive study released July 18 by the Commonwealth Fund, a health care equity nonprofit and research group, ranks Missouri and Kansas among the worst states in the nation for a variety of women’s health metrics.
Missouri is the seventh-worst state in the nation for women’s health across many categories, including reproductive health care, mental health and mortality, the study found. Kansas is a little better, ranking the 20th worst for combined health outcomes.
The study also looked at factors including mental health, maternal mortality, syphilis rates and domestic violence. Here’s how Missouri and Kansas fared.
How does Missouri rank on women’s health care?
Missouri’s health and reproductive care outcomes are in the bottom fifth of states, ranking 43rd out of 50 states plus the District of Columbia. These factors include having the eighth-highest rates of death from breast cancer and cervical cancer, and the second-highest rates of poor mental health among adult women.
According to the study’s data, more than one in every four Missouri women between the ages of 18 and 64 reported “14 or more poor mental health days in the past month.” This persistently poor mental health can lead to other negative outcomes for Missouri women.
Missouri was also the 11th worst out of 50 states plus the District of Columbia for supporting women’s access to health care, the study found.
One in 10 Missouri women between the ages of 19 and 64 have no health insurance coverage, and nearly one in five in the 18–44 age range said they had skipped a necessary doctor’s visit in the past year because they couldn’t afford it.
Missouri also has the sixth-lowest rate of Pap smears for adult women, which can be used to detect cervical cancer and other health issues before they become debilitating.
While the study covers a wide variety of health issues, it places particular emphasis on reproductive and maternal health care. In this regard, it notes the effect of abortion bans in states like Missouri on broader women’s health issues.
“Many experts are concerned that abortion bans or limits may inadvertently reduce the number of providers offering maternity care, owing to increased risk of legal action that practices face,” the authors wrote.
Missouri’s near-total ban on abortion was implemented immediately after Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, but reports suggest thousands of residents have received abortions in other states.
The state has 74 maternity care providers per 100,000 women of childbearing age—defined in the study as ages 15–44. That’s lower than the national average of just under 79 providers.
The effects on pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care are evident: Just under 29 women die during pregnancy for every 100,000 live births in the state, and 11% of babies are born prematurely.
Pregnant women in Missouri are also at a significantly higher risk of intimate partner violence than the national average, with 5.6% experiencing this abuse during pregnancy compared to 3.1% nationwide.
How does Kansas rank on women’s health care?
In Kansas, women fare a little better than Missouri for health outcomes—but are still worse than average on most metrics.
Women in Kansas have the 10th lowest health insurance rate in the country, with 12% of women ages 19–64 living without coverage. And 18% of women ages 18–44 have skipped an important doctor’s appointment in the past year because they haven’t been able to afford care.
Women in Kansas typically have low rates of syphilis infection and high rates of vaccination for the flu and pneumonia compared to the national average. The state also has slightly above the national average rate of abortion clinics available per 100,000 women. Kansas voters enshrined the right to abortion in the state’s constitution in 2022, and the clinics often serve women from neighboring surrounding states where abortion is more restricted.
However, maternal health care access in Kansas lags behind even Missouri in terms of available providers. The state has only around 67.6 providers per 100,000 women aged 15–44, compared to the national average of 78.9.
Overall, Kansas ranked the second-worst for women’s health care in the Great Plains region, which in this study included Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. The only state below it was Missouri.
2024 The Kansas City Star. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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TOPEKA (KSNT) – The man accused of killing a Kansas priest outside a northeast Kansas church is headed to the state’s largest psychiatric facility for evaluation, prosecutors said Friday.
Gary Hermesch is accused of shooting Father Arul Carasala on April 3 outside Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Seneca. Carasala died at a nearby hospital.
Authorities said Hermesch went to the sheriff’s office immediately after the shooting and confessed.
A judge is determining whether Hermesch, of Tulsa, Okla., is competent to stand trial. An evaluation at Larned State Hospital in southwest Kansas will help make that determination, Nemaha County Attorney Brad Lippert said.
A status conference in the case is set for Dec. 18.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Today’s the day we learn which countries might play FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage matches in Kansas City.
Kansas City set to learn which countries it might see play in FIFA World Cup 2026
FIFA is set to announce during a special ceremony on Friday in Washington D.C. which countries will be in which groups for FIFA World Cup 2026.
It’s called the Final Draw, and it’s something KC2026, the committee that’s in charge of organizing Kansas City’s hosting of six matches next June and July, will be following closely.
RELATED | More FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage from KSHB 41
There’s a watch party starting at 9 a.m. at the Power & Light District in downtown Kansas City, Missouri.
The draw, hosted by Conductor Rio Ferdinand, Samantha Johnson, with Red Carpet reporting from Eli Manning, starts at 11 a.m. from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C.
Live coverage will be provided on FIFA’s website.
The draw will assign 48 countries to 12 different groups. The FIFA World Cup 2026 kicks off with group stage matches starting Thursday, June 11, with a Group A match featuring co-host nation Mexico hosting a Group A opponent in Mexico City.
LINK | FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Schedule
Canada, which is co-hosting the 2026 World Cup, gets underway with a Friday, June 12, match against a Group B opponent in Toronto.
Co-host United States, assigned to Group D, will kick off their World Cup campaign on Friday, June 12, against a Group D opponent in Los Angeles.
Kansas City is set to host four group stage matches at Kansas City Stadium (that’s what FIFA is calling GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium):
- Tuesday, June 16, will feature a group stage match between two countries assigned to Group J;
- Saturday, June 20, will feature a group stage match between two countries assigned to Group E;
- Thursday, June 25, will feature a group stage match between two countries assigned to Group F;
- Saturday, June 27, will feature a group stage match between two countries assigned to Group J.
To recap, Kansas City World Cup fans will want to pay close attention to which countries are assigned to Groups J, E and F.
On Saturday, Dec. 6, FIFA will announce the World Cup 2026 schedule, when we’ll learn which specific countries will play when and where.
Kansas City is also set to host a Round of 32 match on Friday, July 3, and a quarterfinal match on Tuesday, July 7. We don’t know which countries will play in these matches until after the completion of the Group Stage.
The Kansas City region is also in a position to serve as a “base camp” for as many as three national teams during the World Cup. The countries could base their World Cup operations at one of three locations in Kansas City throughout the tournament. Countries are expected to be announced in early 2026.
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SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement are investigating a suspect on multiple allegations after a domestic incident in rural Shawnee County.
Just after 11a.m. December 2, the Shawnee County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a domestic disturbance that occurred in northwest Shawnee County, according to Deputy Abigail Christian. A 44-year-old female victim walked into the Silver Lake Police Department with a gunshot wound to her hand.
She was transported to a local hospital by American Medical Response with non-life-threatening injuries.
Multiple law enforcement officers arrived in the 10000 block of NW 54th Street and began searching for the male suspect. At 12:38pm, the suspect was taken into custody.
James I. Morehead, 65, of Silver Lake, Kan., was arrested and booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Attempted Murder in the 1st degree; intentional and premeditated, Aggravated battery; knowingly use weapon cause great body harm/disfigure/death, Criminal threat, Use/possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body, and Intimidation of witness or victim; prevent reporting of victimization
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