ALMOST EXPLAINED: Managing Upcoming MAGA Kansas City Medicaid Cuts

Another important glimpse at VERY REAL cuts on their way to the metro IF the current plan holds up and/or doesn't evaporate like most political promises.

Take a peek . . .

The academic health system, which includes two hospitals in the Kansas City area, already operates on tight margins. In 2024, its operating income was only $3.3 million, on revenue of $932.3 million. And Medicaid accounted for $378.3 million of the system’s $662.3 million in patient care service revenue.

That makes the health system more reliant on the government health program than most other area hospitals. Children’s Mercy, for example, got 35% of its patient service revenue from Medicaid. And St. Luke’s Health System, before its merger with BJC, got 9% of patient revenue from Medicaid.

Charlie Shields, CEO of University Health said it is too soon to know just how the federal legislation will affect University Health. Work requirements and other parts of the bill likely to cause the largest coverage losses won’t take effect until the end of 2026. And there is always a chance, he said, that Congress could delay implementation, as it has done in the past with other changes to Medicaid.

But it is easy to imagine that the hospital will see an increase in expenses related to uncompensated care, he said.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Kansas City's largest safety-net hospital braces for Medicaid fallout under Trump budget

University Health, which counts on Medicaid for more than half of its patient revenue, vows that cutting services and staff will be the last resort.