Top Policy Official Says Ohio Still Weighing Medicaid Expansion

A top Kasich Administration official today says it could be as long as six months before a decision is made on expansion of Medicaid. Medicaid is the federal program that provides care for the poor. Office of Health Transformation Director, Greg Moody, says since the Supreme Court decision upholding the Affordable Care Act, Ohio is among the states still weighing whether to accept federal funds to help pay for medicaid expansion. "We are hearing from folks who have very strong opinions about whether to expand or not. We are listening to them. We're thinking that through, and over the next six months or so we'll be making a decision for Ohio." Moody says its uncertain how many more Ohioans will enroll in Medicaid beginning in January of 2014 when federal health care act mandates that all eligible individuals have coverage. One estimate predicts 900,000 more Ohioans will join the Medicaid rolls. Ohio and the federal government share the costs of Medicaid. In 2010, The Kaiser Family Foundation reports Medicaid costs in Ohio topped $15,000,000,000.