The Robert G. (Bob) Bethell Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services and KanCare Oversight scheduled a Jan. 23, 2026, meeting, voted to pursue a bill to amend its authorizing statute and approved a string of recommendations and requests for state agencies and the governor related to Medicaid, long-term care and home- and community-based services (HCBS).

The committee’s statutory overview began with Jenna Moyer, advisor in the Legislature’s statutes office, who reviewed the statute the committee enforces. Moyer told members the statute lists duties that include oversight of transfers from institutions to HCBS, study of cost and outcomes, access to KDHE medical assistance reports and the ability to introduce legislation. As Moyer summarized, subsection I “allows the committee to make recommendations and introduce legislation as it deems necessary.”

Why it matters: the committee’s actions will shape what the Legislature asks state agencies to study and report next year and will determine which short-term working groups the panel directs KDHE and KDADS to convene before the next session.

Key outcomes and discussion

Statute and schedule: Members debated meeting timing required by statute and voted to remove the phrase requiring the April meeting to occur "during the regular legislative session." The committee also approved a motion for KLRD to draft a senate bill to change KSA 39-7-106 (as referenced in the meeting packet) and set the committee’s January meeting for Jan. 23, 2026. Members cited scheduling conflicts in January and the Legislature’s calendar as the reason for clarifying the statutory language.

Wheelchairs and DME: After testimony about conflicting guidance on prior authorization for repairs to complex wheelchairs, the committee approved formation of a one-time complex wheelchair/DME work group. The group will report back to the committee in January 2026 with, at minimum, an analysis of the preventive-maintenance/safety-check process and the billing process for repairs and parts. Members urged KDHE to clarify KMAP guidance (referenced in testimony as KMAP General Bulletin 25204) that says prior authorization is not required for certain labor/repair codes; several legislators said providers and users need clearer policy.

Nursing-home pharmacy and dispensing fees: The committee approved language, drawn from testimony by the long-term care ombudsman, affirming a resident’s right to a pharmacist of their choice “irrespective of the type of medication distribution system used by the facility” and recommending that residents not be charged repackaging fees or face financial disincentives for using a pharmacy other than a facility’s preferred provider. Members discussed related past interim work on nursing-home packaging and dispensing fees.

Oversight of federal rural health transformation funding: Senator Gossage led a motion asking that the governor include the chair, vice chair and the ranking minority member of the Bethell committee as legislative participants in the stakeholder process for the Kansas Rural Health Innovation Alliance (RHIA) application and any future bodies that would oversee distribution of funds, subject to LCC (Legislative Coordinating Council) policy 33. Secretary Stanek of KDHE answered committee questions about the grant process and said the governor appoints the state’s stakeholder bodies; she added, “The governor is actually in charge of deciding who’s on the committee,” and explained KDHE is the designated lead agency for the application process.

Sedation dentistry/mobile anesthesia billing: KDHE and KDADS staff described federal coding and provider-enrollment constraints that prevent mobile sedation providers from billing certain Medicare/Medicaid facility codes (G0330 was discussed during testimony). The committee asked KDHE/KDADS to seek a CMS billing code for mobile sedation dentistry and, if no federal code is available in the near term, to propose a standardized state payment approach (possible modifiers in the $300–$400 range were discussed). Testimony included an industry estimate that fully funding mobile sedation at the higher rates would require roughly $15 million in state general funds at a $1,900 reimbursement level, but staff suggested smaller interim increases and a targeted state-only approach could reduce that figure.

Nursing-home surveys and IDR: The committee recommended amending KSA 39-947(a) to create an independent survey process and to establish a seven-member review committee to perform (or oversee) surveys/IDR (informal dispute resolution). Members described chronic vacancy and capacity problems in surveyor staffing and said outsourcing or creating an independent process might restore confidence in, and timeliness of, enforcement and dispute resolution.

IDD waiver slots and the community support waiver: The committee recommended funding an additional 500 IDD waiver slots (members discussed last year’s split that funded both slots and provider rate increases) and unanimously approved continued legislative support for the Community Support Waiver implementation work KDADS is pursuing. Members emphasized capacity and the agencies’ need to manage implementation timelines with CMS.

AI in health care: Following testimony raising concerns about AI-driven chat tools delivering unsafe or incorrect health guidance, the committee approved a request for an informational hearing in the Health and Human Services Committee (House) during the next session to get expert testimony on the availability and current state use of AI in health services.

What the committee did not do: A proposal to raise the personal needs allowance (currently cited in testimony as $62) failed on a recorded voice vote. Separate proposals to fund large new investments in dental provider participation (figures discussed in testimony ranged up to $30 million) did not pass.

Selected direct quotes

• Jenna Moyer, advisor, statutes office: “Subsection I allows the committee to make recommendations and introduce legislation as it deems necessary.”

• Secretary Stanek, KDHE: “The governor is actually in charge of deciding who’s on the committee.”

Votes at a glance (committee actions recorded in transcript)

- Remove “session” language from the statute’s April meeting requirement and direct KLRD to draft a senate bill to amend KSA 39-7-106: approved (voice vote). Mover: Senator Gossage; second: Rep. Sutton.

- Schedule January committee meeting for Jan. 23, 2026: approved (voice vote).

- Form one-time complex wheelchair/DME work group to report to committee in January 2026 (analysis of preventive maintenance and billing): approved (voice vote).

- Adopt ombudsman-recommended nursing-home pharmacy protections (pharmacist choice; no repackaging fees or financial disincentives): approved (voice vote).

- Request (via LCC policy process) that the governor include Bethell chair, vice chair and ranking minority member in RHIA stakeholder process and any future distribution body for awarded funds: approved (voice vote). Motion amended to route request through the LCC as required by policy.

- Recommend KDHE/KDADS seek a CMS billing code for mobile sedation dentistry and, pending federal action, propose a state-standardized payment approach or modifier: approved (voice vote).

- Recommend amending KSA 39-947(a) to create an independent nursing-home survey/IDR process and a seven-member committee: approved (voice vote).

- Recommend review in the 2026 session of House Bill 2386 (remove year-specific language governing CHIP eligibility thresholds): approved (voice vote).

- Recommend funding an additional 500 IDD waiver slots: approved (voice vote).

- Recommend continued support for the Community Support Waiver work: approved (voice vote).

- Request an informational hearing on AI health technology during the next session: approved (voice vote).

- Proposal to raise the personal needs allowance (from $62 to higher amounts discussed): failed (recorded vote noted in transcript).

Items for follow-up

- KDHE/KDADS to clarify KMAP policy language on prior authorization for wheelchair repairs and to coordinate a one-time stakeholder meeting of providers, MCOs and consumer advocates to resolve operational issues.

- KLRD to draft the senate bill amending the committee statute and to prepare the letter/request to the governor (routed through LCC) seeking legislative representation on the RHIA stakeholder process.

- KDHE to provide a fiscal estimate for the proposed modifier or state-only payment for mobile sedation dentistry and the potential federal match impact.

Ending

Committee members emphasized implementation timelines and capacity constraints: several members asked agencies to return with concrete analyses rather than only anecdote. The panel will reconvene in January 2026 with work-group reports and agency follow-ups on the items above.

(Reporting note: all quotes and attributions come from the meeting transcript; votes recorded as voice votes in the transcript are summarized above. Where the transcript did not provide a roll-call tally, outcomes are recorded as committee approvals or failures per the spoken vote recorded in the transcript.)