Topic: Medicaid
Interview of Maynard Oliverius, March 6, 2026
Interviewed by Robert St. Peter
Maynard Oliverius lays out in clear terms the policy choices the federal government made that shaped the health care system in the country today. Starting in 1946 with the Hill-Burton Act that paid for new hospital facilities, then the creation in 1965 of Medicare and Medicaid to ensure that seniors had a way to pay for health care and medical research, he tracks federal changes through the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid Expansion. He also notes that Kansas was leading other states in health rankings in the early 1990's, but now has fallen significantly behind other states' efforts Show Moreto improve the health of their residents. Access to health care has become a major problem for many Kansans. The interview also touches on the growth of Stormont Vail under his leadership and how it is now a major medical center serving northeast Kansas and is a locally owned, locally operated nonprofit organization. Oliverius concludes by offering his opinion that ideally the country needs to move to a single payer system in order to provide access for all - he describes it as "medicare for all." He expressed concern about the current direction of health policy nationally. Show Less
Interview of Robert Moser, March 10, 2026
Interviewed by Robert St. Peter
Dr. Moser had an unusual background because he went to pharmacy school before deciding to go to medical school. This interview really highlights the difficulties of practicing medicine in a rural area, and shows Moser's innovations in responding to those challenges. He did his residency in his hometown of Tribune, Kansas. He also credits the business training in Pharmacy school as being helpful in responding to challenges which included workforce issues. To meet that challenge, Dr. Moser used a multijurisdictional approach to expand staffing in both Greely and Wallace counties. Delivering babies was a Show Morerecurring problem - no backup, no personal time. Moser left Tribune in 2010 to work as Governor Brownback's Secretary of Health and Environment but left 3 years later because of opposition to medicaid expansion. In 2014 he joined the Kansas Heart-Stroke Collaborative - a CMS innovation - and also taught population health and family medicine at KU Medical Center. After surveying emergency room data regarding patients who came in with heart attacks and strokes, they were able to develop evidence-based guidelines for rural health care staff that improved patient outcomes. Show Less
Interview of Matthew (Matt) All, April 21, 2026
Interviewed by Robert St. Peter
This is a very important interview in this series about Healthy Kansans because it embraces the discussion on health care financing. It is also interesting because of All's experiences in the political arena that led him to his current role as CEO of one of the state's largest health care insurers. He was involved with the proposed merger of Anthem and Blue Cross when he worked for Gov. Sebelius who turned down the merger. He said, "It became really clear to me at the beginning that this was an important office, and that Kansans sometimes in Show Morethe biggests moments of their lives need somebody to stand beside them. So, I was proud to do the work!" The largest part of the interview is a discussion on how health insurance works, how costs affect premiums, and what the options for the future hold. Despite the difficulties in finding ways to control costs, Mr. All is optimistic about the future. Show Less
Interview of Brenda Landwehr, May 5, 2026
Interviewed by Robert St. Peter
Brenda Landwehr went to the Legislature to solve problems. She didn't shy away from the tough ones, either. "I've always been one of those people that it's like, put up or shut up. You can only complain so long." So, she "jumped in with both feet" to the Legislative Health Academy, learned a lot, and at the end of the day, the participants had a great dialogue. Brenda tackled foster care privatization, trying to get the judges to participate. She chaired the Mental Health Modernization Committee and the Joint Committee on Children's Issues. Show More Child behavioral health issues became a passion for her and she started a pilot program in six districts around Kansas. During her second stint in the legislature she was chairing important committees that dealt with the state budget and Medicaid. After 22 years of public service, Landwehr remains one of the most knowledgeable people about health policy issues. Her interview is a good read! Show Less