In this episode we talk about the Storycorps Training that we recently held in Wichita, including how even our best contingency plans didn't prepare us for what we encountered. Plus: stories are one of the most powerful tools that advocates can use to effect policy change. We talk about why stories of Kansans living in the health insurance coverage gap are so critical to our work, and what you can expect if you consider sharing your story with us.

In this episode, we break down what Medicaid Expansion isn't, so you can better understand what it is. We answer many questions we hear from everyday Kansans, including the following:

> Is Medicaid expansion a federal mandate for states?

> Will Medicaid expansion harm Kansans with disabilities?

> How will nursing homes be affected by Medicaid expansion?

> Will Medicaid expansion really reduce health care costs for everyone?

> And more!

For more information about Medicaid expansion or the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, visit ExpandKanCare.com or find us on social media - @ExpandKanCare on Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram.

To kick off Season 2o of Health in the 34th, Marissa, April and Lacey catch up on what happened during the 2024 Kansas legislative session and talk about what is to come for the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas and Medicaid expansion in Kansas.

This bonus episode features the full audio from the press conference held by Kansas Governor Laura Kelly in Winfield, KS, on September 20, 2023. In this press conference, Governor Kelly announces her intention to make KanCare expansion her top priority for the 2024 legislative session and announces a statewide tour to bring attention to it.This episode also features the following speakers:

• Brian Barta, CEO, William Newton Hospital in Winfield
• Alex Gottlob, Owner, Gottlob Lawn & Landscape
• Chandra Di Piazza, Wichita resident

• Expanding Work Requirements Would Make It Harder for People to Meet Basic Needs (CBPP research article, March 2023)
• Taking Medicaid Away for Not Meeting a Work-Reporting Requirement Would Keep People From Health Care (CBPP research article, April 2023)
• Can You Keep Your Medicaid in Arkansas? digital boardgame

Medicaid renewals have been on pause since 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic emergency. But now renewals have resumed, and thousands of Kansans will need to provide documentation to show eligibility for KanCare. But many KanCare recipients haven't had to go through the renewal process, and many others have moved or otherwise had a change of situation since the last time they have renewed. We talk with Kate Gramlich, Cover Kansas Project Specialist at the Community Care Network of Kansas, to discuss what Medicaid renewals mean for Kansans, especially those who fall in the health insurance coverage gap.

The Rally for KanCare Expansion took place March 15, 2023 at the Kansas Statehouse. Join the Alliance for a Healthy Kansas team as we recap and share our favorite moments from the rally.

Matt Kleinmann, Director of Community Development with Vibrant Health in Kansas City, KS, talks about his work at the intersection of public health and architecture and how expanding Kansas' Medicaid program, KanCare, is just one of the pieces of the healthy spaces puzzle.