{"id":894016,"date":"2026-10-25T10:28:33","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T10:28:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/894016\/"},"modified":"2026-10-25T10:28:33","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T10:28:33","slug":"childrens-mercy-change-fuels-kansas-medicaid-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/894016\/","title":{"rendered":"Children\u2019s Mercy change fuels Kansas Medicaid debate"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kansas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cindy Holscher criticized Republican opponent Ty Masterson over Medicaid expansion and federal health care cuts after Children\u2019s Mercy said ACA Marketplace plans<\/a> serving the Kansas City area will not include the hospital in their networks starting Jan. 1.<\/p>\n

\u201cFamilies across the Kansas City area got news that no parent should ever have to hear,\u201d Holscher said during a news conference Thursday. \u201cStarting Jan. 1, Children\u2019s Mercy will no longer be in network<\/a> for the ACA marketplace plans serving our region.\u201d<\/p>\n

More than 55,000 children across Kansas and Missouri get coverage through the ACA marketplace<\/a>, Holscher said.<\/p>\n

\"Ty Ty Masterson and Cindy Holscher, candidates for Kansas governor 2026 <\/p>\n

\u201cThese are kids of small business owners, farmers, ranchers, and shift workers whose jobs don\u2019t come with employer insurance,\u201d Holscher said. \u201cThese are folks who did everything right, and now they\u2019re being told their child\u2019s hospital won\u2019t be covered.\u201d<\/p>\n

For many Kansas families, Children\u2019s Mercy is the only place close to home with the specialists their children need for cancer, heart conditions, and rare diseases, Holscher said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s happening at Mercy is the result of disastrous policies championed by Ty Masterson, who voted against Medicaid expansion five times and cheered on the deepest health care cuts in our country\u2019s history,\u201d Holscher said in a news release.<\/p>\n

Holscher supports expanding Medicaid<\/p>\n

Medicaid expansion is the single biggest thing Kansas could do to strengthen health care in the state, Holscher said.<\/p>\n

Expansion would cover roughly 150,000 Kansans, most of whom work in fields such as child care, construction, retail, and agriculture, where insurance often isn\u2019t offered.<\/p>\n

Children whose parents have coverage are more likely to be covered and receive the care they need, she said.<\/p>\n

Holscher said her Republican opponent, Ty Masterson, has blocked its expansion and that his votes have cost Kansas nearly $8 billion in federal funding.<\/p>\n

\"Kansas Kansas Sen. Ty Masterson speaks at the Trump rally at the Heartland Credit Union Arena in Park City, Kansas, on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. Masterson, a Republican, is a candidate for Kansas governor. Dominick Williams dowilliams@kcstar.com <\/p>\n

\u201cKansas has paid that money,\u201d Holscher said. \u201cIt went to Missouri, Oklahoma, and the other 40 states that have expanded instead of coming back here to Kansas hospitals and families.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eight Kansas hospitals have closed in the past decade, and more are at risk. Every closure left a community with fewer choices, longer drives for care, and lost jobs, Holscher said.<\/p>\n

\u201cExpansion would have helped keep those doors open,\u201d she said. \u201cEvery dollar we leave on the table, it weakens the whole system, and that leaves us with less room to absorb a crisis like the one families are facing this week.\u201d<\/p>\n

Holscher also criticized the nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed in July 2025, saying the law made the deepest cuts to Medicaid in the country\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

Holscher said Masterson championed the cuts and cheered them on, putting his loyalty to Washington politicians ahead of the families he was elected to serve. She accused him of choosing tax breaks for millionaires and billionaires over health care for Kansas families.<\/p>\n

The Star reached out to Masterson\u2019s campaign Thursday but did not receive an immediate response.<\/p>\n

\"Kansas Kansas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cindy Holscher pledged to expand Medicaid after Children\u2019s Mercy said ACA Marketplace plans serving the region will not include the hospital in their networks starting Jan. 1. This Google Maps Street View image from April shows the hospital. Google Maps <\/p>\n

\u201cAs governor, I will expand Medicaid and bring our taxpayer dollars home because Kansans have already paid for it and deserve to get it back,\u201d Holscher said. \u201cAnd I will fight the cuts coming out of Washington and stand up for the Kansas hospitals, Kansas families, and Kansas kids, no matter who is in charge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Holscher also said she would push for \u201creal standards\u201d for insurers and put Kansas families ahead of insurance companies, their profits and billionaire tax breaks.<\/p>\n

Children\u2019s Mercy, insurers urged to return to negotiations<\/p>\n

Mel Sabin, the mother of a child with disabilities and state outreach manager for Little Lobbyists, also described the challenges of transferring care for children with complex medical needs. Finding new specialists and transferring care to a new clinic can take months, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur children don\u2019t have months, or sometimes even days, to wait,\u201d Sabin said.<\/p>\n

Sabin said some families specifically chose ACA Marketplace plans because Children\u2019s Mercy was in network. She urged insurers and Children\u2019s Mercy to return to the negotiating table.<\/p>\n

Little Lobbyists Action Network, Little Lobbyists\u2019 advocacy and lobbying arm, has endorsed Holscher for Kansas governor.<\/p>\n

Related Stories from Kansas City Star<\/p>\n


\n \"Profile
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Robert A. Cronkleton<\/a><\/p>\n

The Kansas City Star<\/p>\n

Robert A. Cronkleton is a breaking news reporter for The Kansas City Star, covering crime, courts, transportation, weather and climate. He\u2019s been at The Star for 36 years. His skills include multimedia and data reporting and video and audio editing.
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