Gov. Sam Brownback was the big winner in Tuesday’s primary. He and his financial backers targeted for defeat the remaining few Republican moderates left in the Kansas Senate. Their aim was to give Brownback complete control of the Kansas Legislature, and they succeeded, as most of the moderates lost. Now Brownback will have a virtual green light to pursue his agenda, which includes granting him more control over selecting judges.
The Brownback administration resubmitted its KanCare proposal to the federal government Monday. It had to withdraw its initial waiver application because it failed to notify two Native American health clinics about the proposal. The administration maintains that it will save about $1 billion over five years by switching Medicaid to a managed-care system, without cutting provider rates or changing eligibility requirements. But many are skeptical and have noted major problems in other states where private insurance companies manage Medicaid. Meanwhile, the Topeka Capital-Journal reported that the Brownback administration approved payments of up to $1 million to an Arizona company for help with the waiver application process.
