The 2026 Kansas Legislative Session Is Underway
The 2026 Kansas legislative session officially began yesterday, and with it comes another important opportunity to advance policies that protect patient access to care and strengthen the role of chiropractic within Kansas’s healthcare system.
Last Wednesday, the KCA kicked off the session by hosting the KC Metro Legislative Dinner, bringing together doctors of chiropractic and legislators to begin conversations that will continue throughout the coming months. Events like this help ensure that chiropractic perspectives are present early—before bills are drafted, hearings are scheduled, and decisions are made.
KCA’s Legislative Priorities This Session
During the 2026 session, KCA will be actively monitoring legislation and working with policymakers on several key issues, including:
- Pre-School Physicals
Addressing current exclusions that prevent chiropractors from performing pre-school physicals, despite being well-qualified to evaluate neuromusculoskeletal health and overall wellness in children. - School Meal Modifications
Advancing the ability for chiropractors to issue school meal modification orders for students with documented nutritional needs or allergies, improving access for families and reducing unnecessary barriers. - Concussion Return-to-Play
Ensuring that chiropractors are appropriately recognized as healthcare providers who can evaluate and manage concussion recovery and return-to-play decisions, particularly for student-athletes. - Insurance Inequities
Continuing to address longstanding disparities in coverage, reimbursement, and administrative barriers that limit patient access to chiropractic care and place unnecessary strain on chiropractic practices.
Each of these issues ties directly to access to care—ensuring that Kansas patients can receive timely, appropriate, and cost-effective healthcare services from the providers they trust.
A Constant Presence at the Statehouse
Throughout the session, the KCA will be present at the Statehouse for committee meetings, hearings, and discussions that may affect chiropractic. This includes tracking bills, engaging with legislators and regulators, and ensuring that chiropractic is part of the conversation—not an afterthought.
Your Membership Makes This Possible
Advocacy does not happen in a vacuum. Your continued support as a KCA member is essential to sustaining a strong, consistent presence at the Capitol and advancing policies that protect both chiropractors and the patients they serve.
This work reflects the KCA mission in action: empowering chiropractors with community, advocacy, resources, and education. As the legislative session unfolds, we will continue to keep you informed and engaged—because a unified profession is a stronger profession.
Blue KC / Highmark Affiliation: What Chiropractors Should Know
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (Blue KC) has announced an affiliation agreement with Highmark that is expected to move forward in 2026, pending regulatory approvals. At this time, Blue KC has stated that it will remain locally governed and branded, and there have been no announced changes to provider networks, reimbursement, or chiropractic coverage.
That said, KCA is monitoring this development closely.
In other regions where Highmark operates, chiropractic coverage is often governed by more formalized medical policies, increased utilization management, and tighter administrative requirements. In some markets and plan designs, chiropractors report visit caps, stricter definitions of medical necessity, or prior authorization requirements. Importantly, these features are often employer-specific and state-specific, and experiences in other states do not automatically translate to Kansas due to differences in insurance law, parity requirements, and network adequacy rules.
At this point, there is no publicly available information indicating that Blue KC has adopted Highmark chiropractic policies or intends to do so. However, changes—if they occur—would most likely appear gradually through policy updates, employer renewals, or new administrative requirements rather than all at once.
What KCA Members Should Be Doing Now
KCA encourages all members to regularly review the insurance contracts they have individually signed and assess whether continued participation in each network still makes financial and operational sense for their practice. Reimbursement, administrative burden, documentation demands, and patient impact can change over time, and those decisions are individual business judgments that should be revisited periodically—not assumed to remain viable indefinitely.
What to Watch For (and Report to KCA)
Please let us know if you see any of the following related to Blue KC:
- New or revised medical policies affecting chiropractic care
- Introduction of prior authorization requirements
- Visit caps, daily dollar limits, or new claims edits
- Denials citing “maintenance care” or new medical-necessity standards
- Network or credentialing changes that affect access or participation
Early, concrete reports from members are critical. They allow KCA to separate rumor from reality and to engage appropriately with insurers, employers, and regulators when necessary.
KCA will continue monitoring this affiliation and will keep members informed as credible information becomes available. If you receive any direct communication from Blue KC or experience changes in claims processing or coverage, please contact the KCA office.
| Introducing KCA Legal Counsel: Jeremy D. Haughton, DC, JD |
| The Kansas Chiropractic Association is pleased to announce that we have formally engaged Jeremy D. Haughton, DC, JD, to serve as Legal Counsel for KCA.Dr. Haughton brings a rare and valuable combination of experience to this role as both a licensed Doctor of Chiropractic and a licensed attorney in Kansas. He understands chiropractic not only from a legal perspective but also through lived experience in practice ownership, compliance, documentation, and patient care. Jeremy earned his Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic – Florida, and later his Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law. Before entering full-time legal practice, he owned and operated chiropractic clinics and has extensive experience handling injury cases, insurance matters, compliance issues, employment law, contracts, and regulatory requirements affecting healthcare providers. He is currently licensed to practice law in Kansas and Missouri and is admitted in both state and federal courts. As KCA Legal Counsel, Jeremy will provide guidance and support on legal issues impacting the association and its members, including regulatory compliance, practice operations, contracts, employment questions, insurance-related concerns, and other matters relevant to chiropractic practice in Kansas. His role also includes advising KCA leadership and participating in board-level and policy discussions as needed. Member Benefit: Complimentary Legal Consultation As part of this engagement, KCA members receive a complimentary 15-minute legal consultation with Dr. Haughton, paid for by the Association. This benefit is intended to help members identify legal issues early, understand their options, and determine appropriate next steps. To access this benefit, members should first contact the KCA office. This allows us to review the question, ensure it is appropriately directed to legal counsel, and streamline the process so members receive the most effective assistance possible. If the issue requires legal review, we will coordinate the consultation with Jeremy for you. We are excited to add this level of legal expertise to KCA’s services and believe it will be a valuable resource for our members as they navigate an increasingly complex regulatory and business environment. If you have questions about this new benefit or how to access it, please get in touch with the KCA office. |
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