KS Confident D.C. Will Approve Privatized Medicaid

State hopes to slow the growth of the plan's price tag

OVERLAND PARK – Kansas has 67 days to get federal permission to allow insurance companies to take over daily operations of its $3 billion Medicaid health plan.

Officially, the feds are keeping mum on the matter. But Lt. Gov Jeff Colyer, R-Overland Park, a surgeon whom Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback named two years ago to lead a two-year effort to overhaul the program, said Thursday he remains confident federal officials will OK the proposed change in time to start the program Jan. 1.