Senate Chief: Medicaid Reform Not Part Of Budget

Ohio Senate President Keith Faber says Medicaid reform will not be part of the state's budget negotiations that a panel of legislative negotiators is undertaking this week. The Celina Republican said Wednesday that a separate bipartisan bill for potential changes to Medicaid will be introduced Thursday. Faber said majority Republicans in the Senate have long held that changes to Medicaid would not be part of the budget. The panel plans to meet Thursday and hear updated state revenue and Medicaid caseload projections for the budget, which must be approved by June 30. Medicaid expansion is one of the key components of the federal Affordable Care Act. Roughly 366,000 Ohioans would be eligible for coverage under the expansion beginning in 2014 should it be approved.