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Ohio Medicaid Advocates Rally in New Coalition Against Possible Massive Trump, State Cuts
A new coalition formed from dozens of health organizations and hospitals systems is rallying against what could be devastating cuts to Ohio Medicaid.
The Ohio Medicaid Matters Coalition is urging Republican Gov. Mike DeWine's administration to "maintain flexibility and authority" over the state's Medicaid benefits as the federal government mulls cuts for a program that provides health care for nearly a third of Ohio's residents.
The coalition includes the Ohio Hospital Association, Ohio Association of Foodbanks, Ohio State Medical Association and Ohio School-Based Health Alliance, among many others.
In a Tuesday statement, the coalition said that Medicaid is a "critical driving force in fostering thriving communities" and that it "supports preserving coverage for as many Ohioans as possible."
In 2014, Ohio became a Medicaid expansion state, opening up Medicaid to 770,000 more Ohioans. That, however, could be in jeopardy thanks to a measure introduced in the current version of the state budget bill, which would cut Medicaid expansion in Ohio if federal assistance for the program drops below 90%.
That drop, due to the bill's "trigger language" is highly likely if the federal government makes cuts, though that timeline or amount is not yet clear.
More: Gov. Mike DeWine on potential Medicaid cuts: 'We don't know what the federal government is going to do'
"What we don't know is what the federal government is going to do, and the federal government is paying virtually all of this expansion," DeWine said at a Columbus event in late March. "Now, if they change the numbers or they stop paying, then obviously we will have to make some very, very difficult choices that, frankly, we do not want to have to make."
Cuts to expansion would increase vulnerability in already vulnerable populations, advocates argue. In Ohio, nearly half of Medicaid recipients are children, and the move would hit rural health systems especially hard, as rural counties typically have higher percentages of residents enrolled in Medicaid, according to data from the Ohio Department of Medicaid.
The coalition also argues that Medicaid expansion cuts would not just damage health care access, but the state's economy.
“Medicaid is a foundation for health and economic stability,” said Teresa Lampl, chief executive officer of The Ohio Council of Behavioral Health and Family Services Providers. “Access to health care empowers Ohioans to work, contribute and fuel economic growth.”
“By cutting coverage, we risk harming our communities and losing valuable workforce — which will cost us more in the end,” Julie DiRossi-King, chief executive offer and president of the Ohio Association of Community Health Centers, said in a statement.
Medical business and health care reporter Samantha Hendrickson can be reached at [email protected] or @samanthajhendr on X, formerly known as twitter. |
