KANSAS CITY, Kan. – A growing majority of Kansas voters support expanding Medicaid, according to a December 2016 statewide survey commissioned by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network.
When asked whether they favor or oppose accepting federal funds to increase healthcare coverage for Kansans who currently fall in the coverage gap and do not have access to affordable health coverage, 82 percent of voters said they favor expansion. This demonstrates a 10-point increase in support for KanCare Expansion since a similar poll was conducted in 2013.
ACS CAN issued the following statement:
“It is clear that Kansans want to take care of their neighbors. Of the 82 percent who said they favor expansion, 60 percent of voters said they strongly favored it. There are 150,000 hardworking Kansans who could benefit from expanding KanCare. Cancer is now the No. 1 cause of death in our state, and it is estimated that there will be 14,400 new diagnoses just this year. KanCare provides preventative screenings, diagnostic testing and cancer treatment services; these life-saving measures should be accessible to everyone in Kansas.
“Kansas has forfeited more than $1.6 billion in federal funds since 2014 – real money that can help people get and stay healthy. The time has come for the Kansas Legislature to expand Medicaid so that our hardworking neighbors can access life-saving care.”
Public Opinion Strategies conducted a statewide phone survey of 500 registered voters in Kansas from Dec. 12-14, 2016. Forty-eight percent of survey respondents identified as Republican, and 26 percent identified as Democrat. Margin of error is +/- 4.38 percent.