Independence

Supporters of Medicaid expansion in Kansas say the rural health task force created by the governor is nothing more than window dressing; political cover to show that the state is doing something to help struggling rural hospitals. But the man leading the task force, Lt. Governor Jeff Colyer, disagrees.

The pending closure of a southeast Kansas hospital is partially blamed on the state's failure to expand Medicaid. But that hasn't softened the governor's stance on Medicaid expansion.

Here's a summary of the day's Kansas news headlines from the Associated Press as compiled by the KPR new staff.

Here's a summary of the day's Kansas news headlines from the Associated Press as compiled by the KPR news staff.

Republican State Senator Jeff King used to be opposed to expanding Medicaid to provide healthcare for poor Kansans. But now that his hometown hospital is closing, in part because the state has failed to expand Medicaid, he's changing his position on the subject.

After serving a rural community in southeast Kansas for nearly a hundred years, the hospital in Independence is closing. While several factors played a part in the decision to close the facility, hospital officials lay much of the blame on the governor and the Kansas Legislature, for failing to expand Medicaid in the state.

Here are the latest news headlines gathered from the Associated Press.