CLEVELAND, OH – Following release of a proposal that would increase healthcare costs for hundreds of thousands of Ohioans, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) urged northeast Ohioans to make their voices heard during a public comment period. The proposed changes to Ohio’s popular Medicaid expansion would require non-disabled adults – including some pregnant women – to pay for coverage that is currently free, increase out-of-pocket costs, and impose annual and lifetime limits on expenses. Ohioans have until May 16 to submit public comment on the proposal before it is submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for review.

While the state has held public hearings in both Columbus and Cincinnati, a hearing has not been scheduled for Cleveland. So Brown held today’s event to encourage northeast Ohioans to make their voices heard.

“Ohio has earned national praise and attention for its Medicaid expansion,” Brown said. “Unfortunately, a plan is underway right now to gut Ohio’s Medicaid expansion by rolling back the progress we’ve made and increasing health care costs for up to one million Ohioans.

“These are hardworking Ohioans who aren’t looking for a handout – they just want to be able to keep caring for their families,” Brown continued. “Luckily, this change is not a done deal and that’s why I am encouraging people to make their voices heard. If you have a story to tell about how this outrageous change will hurt your family, we need you to tell it.”

During a press conference at the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, Brown was joined by James Misak, MD – who was involved in securing MetroHealth’s early Medicaid waiver – who discussed how the model improved the health status and outcomes of low-income populations. Brown is also encouraging Ohioans to visit his website to share their stories about Medicaid expansion and what it means for their health and well-being.

“The MetroHealth Care Plus program in 2013 enrolled over 28,000 previously uninsured Cuyahoga County residents in an early demonstration to study the impacts of expanded Medicaid coverage combined with access to high-quality, coordinated health care,” Dr. Misak said. “Enrollees demonstrated improvements in care and outcomes for diabetes and high blood pressure while decreasing emergency department utilization and overall costs of care. In our view, continuous health coverage matters. Changing a currently successful Medicaid program to one that leads to gaps in coverage and care will most likely result in higher costs for the health system and poorer health outcomes for Ohioans.”

Following the press conference, Brown convened a roundtable to hear from public health workers, medical experts, and community leaders.

In 2013, Governor Kasich expanded Ohio’s Medicaid program through the Affordable Care Act, providing health coverage for more than 600,000 Ohioans, many for the first time. But the state’s 2016-2017 budget bill requires the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) to apply to the federal government for permission to change, or “waive,” the way the program is currently run. This new proposal would require nearly all non-disabled adults on Medicaid to pay premiums to maintain coverage and would impose caps on yearly and lifetime expenses. The proposal also includes additional co-payments and cost-sharing requirements.‎

The full proposal and a summary document are available on ODM’s website. Ohioans can submit comments by emailing HealthyOhio@medicaid.ohio.gov or writing to Healthy Ohio Program 1115 Demonstration Waiver (Bureau of Health Plan Policy Ohio Department of Medicaid, 50 W Town St., 5th Floor, Columbus OH 43218).

 

 

 

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