Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration says it expects the state to get federal permission soon to add long-term services for Kansans with developmental disabilities to KanCare on Feb. 1.

Those services were taken out of the Medicaid managed care plan that began Jan. 1 after intense lobbying by disability advocacy groups.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the administration still hasn’t gotten authorization from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. But administration officials said Friday they’re making “substantial progress” in discussions with the federal agency and expects the services to be added by the beginning of next month.

KanCare is Brownback’s plan to transfer administration of most of the state’s services to three private companies.
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Information from: The Topeka (Kan.) Capital-Journal