On January 3, the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians wrote Governor John Kasich to urge him to implore Congress to let four principles guide their decisions relative to health care laws that impact family physicians and their patients.
Those critical principles are as follows:
- Currently insured individuals should not lose public or private health insurance.
- Under current law, individuals and families benefit from protections against discrimination in all health insurance marketplaces and in other insurance products. These patient-centered protections must be maintained and are essential to ensuring that all individuals, regardless of their age, race, gender, or medical history, can obtain quality affordable health insurance.
- Individuals and families should not lose Medicaid coverage. In addition, the functions of Medicaid should be universal, meaning regardless of one’s state of residency, individuals enrolled in Medicaid must be guaranteed health care coverage that is equitable to coverage in any of the other states.
- Primary care is and must remain a critical and foundational component of any health care system. Portland State University completed a 2016 study of Oregon’s Patient-Centered Primary Care Home (PCPCH) program and found that every $1 increase in primary care expenditures as part of the PCPCH model resulted in $13 in savings in other health care services, including specialty, emergency room, and inpatient care.
The OAFP’s letter, signed by Academy President Ryan Kauffman, MD, states, “Our health care system is not perfect and there are areas that require additional reform. We urge you to take advantage of this opportunity to advocate for improvements to our current health system that will benefit citizens of our state. We stand ready to work with you to accomplish this goal.”
Ohio’s congressional delegation was copied on the letter sent to Gov. Kasich.