KanCare, the Kansas Medicaid Program

KanCare is the administrator for Kansas state Medicaid plans. Are you currently enrolled in KanCare or hoping to enroll soon? You’re not alone – about 14% of the Kansas population is enrolled in KanCare. Notably, that includes one out of every eight Kansas Medicare beneficiaries. If you have Medicare, you can have Medicaid, too! This guide can help you determine whether or not you qualify for Medicaid in Kansas and what benefits you are eligible for.

Click below to learn more about KS Medicaid:

• How to Choose Your KanCare Health Plan
• Prescription Drug Coverage
• OneCare Kansas and Medikan
• Kansas Medicaid Eligibility
• How to Complete the Kansas Medicaid Application
• How to Get Both Medicare and Medicaid in Kansas

How to Choose Your KanCare Health Plan

The Kansas Medicaid program established three MCOs, or “Managed Care Organizations,” in 2013 as a way to better coordinate care for Medicaid recipients. Having a MCO prevents billing errors and helps ensure the highest quality of care.

You will be automatically assigned to an MCO but will be given the opportunity to pick one of the other options if you do not like yours. Once you are enrolled, you will receive an open enrollment packet each year about 30 days before your one-year KS Medicaid enrollment anniversary. This packet will explain your options and give you 60 days to keep your current plan or change into a new one. The three options are Aetna Better Health, Sunflower Health Plan, and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan. All three programs offer a different set of “bonus” health benefits that can set them apart from each other, but the most important difference between the three is the provider networks. Each plan works with a different set of providers, so you’ll want to make sure that the plan you choose works with the doctors you like best.

Aetna Better Health

Aetna’s Kansas Medicaid Better Health MCO offers comprehensive health benefits for members, including almost any medically necessary healthcare services. Some of the “bonus” benefits from Aetna include transportation, dental, and vision.

Aetna Better Health offers not only full ambulance coverage, but also mileage reimbursement, lodging and meals, and rides to doctor visits for those who would not otherwise be able to get to the doctor. Transportation must be scheduled at least three days in advance and can be booked by calling Access 2 Care at 1-866-252-5634 (TTY 711). Aetna Better Health also offers comprehensive dental and vision benefits through SkyGen.

Additional plan incentives and benefits include:

• $500 per year towards dental for members 21+
• $50 per year towards glasses or contacts for members 21+
• Healthy Rewards Incentive Program: $10-$25 gift cards for completing wellness activities like yearly checkups
• A free Android smartphone for 18+ members with 350 free minutes per year, 1 GB data per month, and unlimited texting
• Texting with your care team and texted health reminders
• The PROMISE Pregnancy Program: Gift card rewards up to $30 for visits, rewards up to $150 for safe baby equipment like car seats
• Transportation: Free rides to the pharmacy and ten round trips each year for job interviews, job training, work clothing shopping, and food bank/grocery store trips
• Nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, and some prescriptions for smoking cessation
• Door alarms and window locks for dementia and Alzheimer’s patients
• Mental illness support groups
• Healthy Teens Program: up to $35 per year to join the YMCA, 4-H, Boys and Girls Club, Boy Scouts, or Girl Scouts
• $25 gift card for members 13-21 who complete their yearly checkups
• Mental Health First Aid training class
• Ted E. Bear Kids Club Program: activity books, pedometers, and $10-$15 gift cards for meeting health goals
• Up to 30 home-delivered meals for members 21+ with medical needs
• Hypoallergenic sheets for asthmatic members
• Work preparation and GED certificate programs
• No Place Like Home: grant for nursing home residents moving home (up to $5,000)

Sunflower Health Plan

Aside from their comprehensive hospital, doctor, and speciality health service coverage, Sunflower Health Plan offers a lot of additional benefits like: up to three pairs of eyeglasses per year for kids (one for adults), six-month dental checkups, caregiver support, the “sunny’s kids club” wellness group for kids, non-emergency transportation to doctor’s visits, and even unlimited inbound texts from SafeLink Wireless.

Sunflower Health Plan offers reward dollars for healthy behaviors that can be placed into a “CentAccount Rewards Card” that can be used at CVS Pharmacy, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Fred’s, Meijer, Rite Aid Pharmacy, and Wal-Mart for items related to baby care, healthy groceries, over-the-counter medicines, and personal care items from this catalog. You can earn rewards* like:

• $10 for yearly health risk screenings
• $10 for infant and child well visits
• $10 for MMR and VZV immunizations, $15 for HPV vaccines
• $10 for HbA1c tests for diabetic members
• $50 for comprehensive diabetes care
• $15 for notice of pregnancy and some prenatal doctor visits, then $10 for postpartum

*There may be some limitations.

UnitedHealthcare Community Plan

One of the biggest benefits of choosing the UnitedHealthcare Community Plan is the large network which includes hundreds of hospitals across the state of Kansas. This plan also offers:

• Care coordinators to help you find the best services
• Focused disease management
• In-home care when necessary, including in-home medical supplies, emergency response systems, home meal delivery, respite for caregivers, and more
• Transportation to and from medical appointments
• Interpreters for non-English speakers who need to communicate with medical professionals
• Community rewards for wellness exams
• Free activities with youth groups for kids and teens

Prescription Drug Coverage

All KS Medicaid programs must follow the preferred drug list. Doctors are asked to prescribe generic versions of prescriptions and to always select drugs from the preferred drug list. If another drug is needed, your doctor will need to request approval from Kansas Medicaid. Most people won’t have to pay for their drugs with Medicaid, but some people may face small copays. Our free prescription drug savings card may be able to help you save money on your out-of-pocket prescription costs.Back to Top

OneCare Kansas and Medikan

OneCare Kansas is a new Medicaid option for Kansas Medicaid recipients with chronic conditions like diabetes, asthma, and mental illnesses. OneCare adds benefits to your preexisting KS Medicaid coverage like extra home care, social support groups, and extra care management. To join OneCare, you must enroll in KanCare.

Medikan is another Medicaid option for Kansas Medicaid recipients with physical or mental disabilities. Medikan is a 12-month only program for those who are ineligible for KS Medicaid but still require some assistance. To be eligible for Medikan, you must also apply for Social Security disability benefits. You will be alerted of your Medikan eligibility once you have completed your SSDI and KanCare applications. Call 1-800-792-4884 for more information about Medikan.Back to Top

Kansas Medicaid Eligibility Requirements

You may qualify for Kansas Medicaid if your income (compared to your family size) is at or below the following:

How to Complete Your Kansas Medicaid Application

The best and easiest way to apply for Medicaid in Kansas is to create an account and complete the online KanCare application. You can also print and mail the application or call 800-792-4884. When you complete your application, you’ll need to gather your:

• Health insurance cards
• Recent pay stubs and proof of income
• Statements from stocks, bonds, CDS, IRAs, and 401ks
• Funeral or burial plans
• Life insurance statements
• Proof of medical expenses
• Proof of property purchases and sales

How to get Both Medicare and Medicaid in Kansas?

If you qualify for KanCare but also meet the requirements for Medicare, you can benefit from both programs. You can qualify for Medicare either by turning 65, entering your 25th month of Social Security Disability benefits, or receiving a diagnosis for either ALS or ESRD.

If you discover that you do qualify for both programs, you can enroll in a Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plan, a form of Medicare Advantage that is designed for people just like you and can cover most of your healthcare costs. If you aren’t sure whether or not you qualify, we can help you figure it out! Just click below to learn more, or go ahead and give us a call at 844-431-1832.