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Finding care for children with medically complex or rare conditions—which may affect fewer than 100 kids nationwide—can force parents to tap into networks of highly-specialized physicians and hospitals scattered around the country. This is especially challenging when the children are covered by Medicaid, because each state-run program has a different benefit package, payment structure and provider network (Vestal, 1/8)

Starting this month Kansas primary care physicians will be paid less for seeing Medicaid patients. The expiration of a federal incentive program in the Affordable Care Act is responsible for the reduction. Nationally, the average fee reduction is expected to be about 43 percent, according to a recent report from the Health Policy Center of the Urban Institute. However, in Kansas, the cut in payments likely will be much less, closer to 25 percent. The change is expected to affect about 2,500 primary care physicians in the state. (Ranney, 1/7)