Kansas Republicans Panic, Consider Medicaid Expansion as Rural Hospital Fails
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/09/16/1421668/-Kansas-Republicans-Panic-Consider-Medicaid-Expansion-as-Rural-Hospital-Fails
Now, in a town of less than ten thousand, they face the loss of significant jobs - 190 directly impacted by the hospital. Hospitals, though, bring outside jobs and revenue. For maintenance crews who help upkeep the HVAC to a vending machine owner who collects the coins twice a month. For the town of Independence, the exit of a hospital represents a serious impact on their way of life.
It may be this moment, however, that forces some serious discussion. Jeff King, (R-Independence) hails from the small community. While he has been a stalwart of opposition to Medicaid Expansion, along with Republicans in the Kansas House, he is now starting to see some light.
"I've never been amenable to just an expansion of the Affordable Care Act," Senate Vice President Jeff King said Tuesday. "But as we look at states like Indiana that take a real state-centric approach to addressing the health care needs of their poor, I think that's something that Kansas needs to strongly consider."
Last week, Mercy Hospital in King's home town of Independence announced it will close its doors Oct. 10. The hospital cited several factors in its decision, including declining reimbursement rates from Medicare, the federal health insurance program for the elderly.
What Senator King knows is that his home community, Montgomery County, has been dealt repeated body blows by the policies of the Kansas Republicans. The loss of a hospital is the newest and most notable, but it was last year when Amazon decided to leave nearby Coffeyville. Amazon at one point hired 1,000 Full Time Employees. Between Amazon, the loss of John Deere (38 employees), and Southwire (200 employees), Montgomery County has been dealt a harsh hand. Montgomery County, and their roughly 35,000 residents were not prepared for the significant job losses that have hammered these small and proud Kansas towns.