'Healthy Ohio' plan a dangerous prescription
Posted April 21, 2016 in Press Releases
Ohio proposal would create barriers to health care, Policy Matters testifies.
For immediate release
Contact: Wendy Patton, 614.582.0048
Changes Ohio is seeking in the Medicaid program would cause thousands to lose their health care and hurt the financial stability of hospitals, Wendy Patton, Policy Matters senior project director, said in prepared testimony today.
The “Healthy Ohio” plan approved by lawmakers and signed by Gov. John Kasich would impose premiums on more than 1.2 million low-income adults enrolled in Medicaid, lock individuals out of coverage for non-payment and impose yearly and lifetime caps on coverage. The proposal requires approval from the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive certain Medicaid rules. Medicaid expansion has benefitted Ohioby improving public health and the financial stability of providers. The proposal would undermine those gains, Patton testified to the state Medical Care Advisory Committee. Without coverage, people with chronic conditions such as diabetes and cancer would not be able to see a doctor. “Research over many years shows that imposing costs on health care reduces use by poor families or results in discontinuous use,” Patton testified. “This is because they have limited income. They chose between gas, food, rent, and other bills. Health care falls to the bottom of the pile.”
###
Policy Matters Ohio is a nonpartisan research institute creating a more vibrant, equitable Ohio.