Things are starting to rumble again about the Ohio House taking up an override of Governor Kasich’s veto of the Medicaid expansion freeze. Over the weekend, the Ohio House Republican Caucus issued a request to its members asking them whether or not they would vote to override the Governor’s veto of the expansion freeze.
Health care coverage of hundreds of thousands of Ohioans is at risk. When Arizona implemented a similar freeze in 2011, 70% of the people who were enrolled when the freeze took effect were not on the rolls 18 months later. If a similar result occurred in Ohio, more than 500,000 Ohioans could lose coverage.
- Representative Marlene Anielski: 614.644.6041; Email Rep. Anielski
- Representative Niraj Antani: 614.466.6504; Email Rep. Antani
- Representative Steven Arndt: 614.644.6011; Email Rep. Arndt
- Representative Louis Blessing: 614.466.9091; Email Rep. Blessing
- Representative Mike Duffey: 614.644.6030; Email Rep. Duffey
- Representative Dave Greenspan: 614.466.0961; Email Rep. Greenspan
- Representative Jay Edwards: 614.466.2158; Email Rep. Edwards
- Representative Tim Ginter: 614.466.8022; Email Rep. Ginter
- Representative Laura Lanese: 614.466.9690; Email Rep. Lanese
- Representative Sarah LaTourette: 614.644.5088; Email Rep. LaTourette
- Representative Jeffery Rezabek: 614.466.2960; Email Rep. Rezabek
- Representative Gary Scherer 614.644.7928; Email Rep. Scherer
- Representative Ryan Smith: 614.466.1366; Email Rep. Smith.
- An expansion freeze creates a disincentive for some workers to accept a raise or increased hours because even a small increase would mean the permanent loss of health benefits.
- The federal government has not made any changes to the Medicaid program. Cutting off coverage for over 700,000 Ohioans in response to merely the possibility of changes to the funding formula would be disastrous for those who rely on it for their basic health care needs.
- Medicaid total spending has been under budget during the last two budget cycles. Total Medicaid spending was $1.5 BILLION dollars under budget in state fiscal year (SFY) 2017.
- Expansion enrollment has stabilized. Medicaid expansion enrollment held steady during the entirety of SFY17 and total Medicaid caseloads have actually decreased during the first two months of SFY18.
- Statements have implied a relationship between those individuals with severe needs on a waiting list and those on expansion-namely that Ohio is paying first for “able-bodied adults” while others with more severe needs are waiting. As described in this article, that correlation is false. Waivers exist in restricted numbers for many different reasons. There is no relationship between those waiting for a spot to open up in a federally restricted waiver program, and those enrolled in expansion coverage.
- Federal law prohibits anyone in an expansion state with income less than 138% of the federal poverty level from receiving subsidies to pay for insurance, since the intent was to cover them via Medicaid. Anyone locked out by the freeze will be locked out of coverage, period.
Watch for an email from the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians later this week announcing the availability of a SpeakOut message to send to those 13 House members. In the meantime, if you live in the district of one of these members, please contact them directly.