Gov. Laura Kelly creates council to study Medicaid expansion

Governor Laura Kelly says she will do everything in her power to make sure that 2020 is the year that lawmakers finally expand Medicaid in Kansas.

She signed an

.

During this year's session, efforts to expand Medicaid coverage to as many as 150,000 Kansans stalled out in the Senate.

This new council will not create any new legislation; instead, it's tasked with studying the costs and benefits of expansion models in other states with the idea for finding the best version of expansion for Kansas.

The council - a mix of new and veteran voices - will also meet three times before the end of the year to explore the issue.

Kelly says it's important to study other states who have expanded in hopes of avoiding any mistakes by the other states, and create what plan will be best for Kansans.