Healthcare (Hospitals)

passed · Kansas · House Feb 19, 2026

HB 2736: Requiring hospitals to screen all patients for eligibility for such hospital's financial assistance program or charity care policy.

HB 2736 requires Kansas non-disproportionate share hospitals to screen every patient for eligibility for the hospital's financial assistance or charity care program *before* sending a billing statement. Hospitals must apply any qualifying discounts upfront and include clear notices on bills about financial assistance options, contact details, and policy links. Patients who are incorrectly denied care can request reconsideration, and hospitals must refund overcharged amounts plus associated costs if they wrongly denied eligibility. The bill aims to prevent hospitals from pursuing debt collection on patients who qualify for free or reduced-cost care, directly affecting patients seeking medical services and hospitals managing billing.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires hospitals to screen patients for financial assistance upfront, improving access to care and protecting patients from overbilling per bill's explicit language.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals

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vetoed · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2587: Authorizing a licensed private psychiatric hospital to maintain a stock supply of emergency medication kits for pharmaceutical emergencies.

HB 2587 allows state-licensed private psychiatric hospitals in Kansas to maintain approved emergency medication kits for immediate patient use during pharmaceutical emergencies. These kits, stocked under pharmacist supervision, can include controlled substances but require specific committee approval for types and quantities. Hospitals must follow strict protocols for kit access, administration, and recordkeeping, with pharmacists-in-charge responsible for oversight. The bill directly affects private psychiatric hospitals and their pharmacy staff, ensuring rapid access to critical medications when standard supplies are unavailable.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables psychiatric hospitals to maintain emergency medication kits under pharmacist supervision, improving patient access to critical care during pharmaceutical emergencies in mental health settings.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Mental Health Prescription Drugs

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died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 3: Requiring the department of health and environment to audit hospital compliance with the lay caregiver act and report the results of such audit to the legislature.

SB 3 requires Kansas hospitals to comply with the Lay Caregiver Act, which ensures patients can designate a caregiver for help after leaving the hospital. Starting in 2026, the Department of Health and Environment must annually audit hospitals to verify they follow the Act’s requirements - like allowing patients to choose caregivers and providing discharge instructions to them - and report the results to legislative health committees by January 31 each year. This bill directly affects hospitals (as audited entities), patients (who can designate caregivers), and caregivers (who receive discharge information). The key mechanism is the mandatory annual audit and reporting process, not changes to the original Act’s patient and caregiver protections.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates hospital compliance with patient caregiver designation rights and annual audits to protect post-discharge access and rights90% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals

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signed · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2365: Adding and removing certain substances in schedules I, III and IV of the uniform controlled substances act and making conforming changes to the criminal code definition of fentanyl-related controlled substances.

HB 2365 establishes the South Central Regional Mental Health Hospital in Wichita, Kansas, to expand mental health care access in south-central Kansas, specifically serving Sedgwick County and surrounding areas. The bill creates a dedicated "South Central Regional Mental Health Hospital Fee Fund" managed by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, which will collect and allocate funds from patient charges and operations. It also directs the department to establish an extension to the state security hospital in Larned for housing patients committed by courts, transferred from correctional facilities, or requiring specialized mental health care. This facility aims to address regional mental health bed shortages without altering existing criminal law provisions referenced in the bill text.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes new mental health hospital and dedicated funding to expand access in south-central Kansas, directly advancing mental health services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Mental Health

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2390: Providing countywide retailers' sales tax authority for Jackson county for the purpose of supporting hospital services in the county.

HB 2390 amends Kansas tax law to allow Jackson County to impose a countywide retailers' sales tax (subject to voter approval) specifically for funding hospital services within the county. This replaces the previous use of a similar tax for the Banner Creek reservoir project, as referenced in historical elections. The key mechanism requires Jackson County's governing body to seek voter approval via election or petition (10% of eligible voters) before implementing the tax. The tax revenue would directly support local hospitals, affecting county residents through healthcare services and potential tax changes. This is a policy change to redirect existing tax authority toward healthcare infrastructure.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesEnables county sales tax specifically for hospital services, directly allocating tax revenue to fund essential public services.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill specifically allocates county sales tax revenue to fund hospital services, directly increasing healthcare funding for county hospitals per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Revenue Sales Tax Hospitals

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died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2246: Enacting the consumer protection related to hospital price transparency act.

HB 2246 requires Kansas-licensed hospitals to post clear, online pricing for their top 300 procedures and provide written estimates for elective services upon patient request, directly affecting patients seeking care. Hospitals must display this information publicly and include it on their websites, with specific rules for pre-procedure estimates. Noncompliant hospitals face referral to federal health agencies, and patients can sue for damages if hospitals fail to follow the rules, including refunds and credit report corrections. The law aims to make hospital costs more transparent while aligning with federal price transparency requirements.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires hospitals to disclose pricing and provide estimates, enabling informed patient decisions and protecting against unexpected costs - directly supports patient access and rights in healthcare.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals

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died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2002: Requiring the department of health and environment to audit hospital compliance with the lay caregiver act and report the results of such audit to the legislature.

HB 2002 requires Kansas hospitals to comply with the Lay Caregiver Act, which mandates that hospitals help patients designate caregivers before discharge and provide them with discharge instructions and aftercare education. Starting in 2026, the Department of Health and Environment must annually audit hospitals for compliance with these requirements and report the results to the legislature’s Health and Human Services committees by January 31 each year. This bill directly affects hospitals (as the entities required to follow the act) and the legislature (as the recipient of audit findings). The key provision replaces the previous lack of enforcement with a mandatory, annual verification process to ensure hospitals are meeting caregiver-related obligations.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnforces hospital compliance with caregiver designation and aftercare rules, strengthening patient rights under Lay Caregiver Act.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals

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signed · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2025

HB 2249: Requiring the secretary for aging and disability services to grant physical environment waivers for certain rural emergency hospitals to provide skilled nursing facility care and establishing the south central regional mental health hospital.

HB 2249 allows eligible rural emergency hospitals in Kansas to convert up to 10 existing swing beds into skilled nursing facility beds without meeting full nursing facility construction standards. To qualify, a hospital must be currently licensed as a rural emergency hospital, have previously operated as a hospital, and have provided skilled nursing or swing bed services for at least one year without safety violations. The bill requires the Secretary for Aging and Disability Services to grant these physical environment waivers upon application. This change directly affects qualifying rural hospitals seeking to expand limited skilled nursing care capacity in their communities.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables rural hospitals to provide skilled nursing care without full construction standards and establishes a regional mental health hospital, expanding access to healthcare services in underserved areas.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Long-Term Care

signed · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 82: Providing tax credits for expenditures for lockable gun and ammunition storage and the retail sale of higher ethanol blends of fuel, discontinuing the tax credit for qualified alternative-fueled motor vehicle property or fueling station expenditures, repealing the agritourism liability insurance, assistive technology contributions, declared disaster capital investment, owners promoting employment across Kansas and swine facility improvement tax credits and expanding the eligibility for applicable expenses under the child day care services assistance tax credit.

SB 82 allows rural emergency hospitals in Kansas that previously provided skilled nursing care to convert up to 10 swing beds into skilled nursing facility beds. To qualify, hospitals must be currently licensed as rural emergency hospitals, have held a prior hospital license, and have offered skilled nursing or swing bed services for at least one year without safety violations. The bill requires the Secretary for Aging and Disability Services to grant physical environment waivers upon application, enabling these hospitals to transition beds without meeting full nursing facility requirements. This policy directly affects eligible rural hospitals seeking to expand care access in underserved communities.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill expands tax credits for gun storage, ethanol blends, and child care while eliminating credits for alternative fuel vehicles and other specific industries, effectively restructuring state tax incentives to support targeted sectors.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables rural hospitals to expand skilled nursing beds, improving access to care in underserved areas without restricting services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Long-Term Care

signed · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2025

SB 126: House Sub for SB 126 - Establishing an advance universal newborn screening program, providing for the reimbursement of certain treatment services and extending the transfer of moneys to the Kansas newborn screening fund, increasing state financial assistance for local health departments under certain circumstances and increasing the annual assessment rate on hospital providers.

The bill text provided (SB 126) is actually about creating a **physician assistant licensure compact**, not a newborn screening program as incorrectly stated in the title. This bill establishes a legal framework allowing physician assistants (PAs) licensed in one participating state to practice in other participating states through mutual recognition of their license ("compact privilege"). It clarifies that PAs must follow the laws of the state where the patient is located during care, while retaining state licensing boards' authority to take disciplinary action. The compact also specifically benefits military families by enabling active-duty personnel and spouses to obtain practice privileges based on an unrestricted license from a participating state. This is a substantive policy change affecting PAs, healthcare providers, and patients across participating states.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables cross-state practice for physician assistants, expanding healthcare provider access and improving patient care options within healthcare delivery framework.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Hospitals Medical Licensing