While Governor John Kasich says heâs working with lawmakers to expand Medicaid to more Ohioans⦠one legislator is proposing a plan that would dramatically cut eligibility. âMy question has been âwhy are we spending a lot of taxpayer money for an inefficient and ineffective program thatâs well above federal minimums," says Republican Rep. John Becker of Southwest Ohio. The lawmaker plans to formally introduce a bill next week that would change Medicaid rolls for parents, pregnant women, and those on the buy-in system. Currently, parents in Ohio are eligible for Medicaid if theyâre earning at or below 90 percent of the federal poverty level. Beckerâs plan would drop that to 34 percent. For pregnant women, that threshold would go from 200 percent of the poverty level to 133 percent. And the stateâs Medicaid buy-in program for workers with disabilities would be cut altogether. Ohioâs Office of Medicaid did not have a comment regarding Beckerâs plan. The representative says this proposal is just one way of addressing what he believes is an overall problem with federal government programs.
For one thingâwhenever youâre spending somebody elseâs money which of course is what youâre doing with any government program youâre reaching into one personâs wallet and giving money to somebody else.
"You know I just have some general philosophical problems with that, and whenever itâs done it does give me pause.â? Becker adds that the federal government is on an unsustainable path of spending that could ultimately lead to bankruptcy. If the state goes with his plan Becker says it would save $1.5 billion.
He wants to go down to the bare minimum which puts us in Charles Dickens England in terms of health care policy, throwing us back to a time when low-income families went without basic health coverage. -Cathy Levine, Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage.
Levine says Becker's plan would impact hundreds of thousands of people. She says taking away health care that could cover preventive measures would only amount to more medical problems later down the road and this is merely shifting the cost. âWhen you take away health coverage you save the money youâre paying upfront but you pay for health care usually in more expensive places. "People who donât get prenatal care are more likely to give birth to children who need a lifetime of care and will receive that care at far greater costs. âSo yeahâshe does make a valid point," Becker responds, "but what I come back to is if you look at the whole Medicaid program, itâs probably the worst devised federal program ever in existence. And it is so wrought with fraud, abuse, corruption and waste just the thought of expanding or doubling down and all thatâIâm just frankly repulsed by the idea.â? Becker admits that his plan could increase costs in other areas but adds that no one knows just how much that would be. Levine has been on the front lines advocating for Medicaid expansion. She says the health care industry agrees that eligibility should increase⦠adding that Beckerâs proposal is a purely political move that shouldnât be taken seriously. âThe General Assembly is not going to vote to take health coverage away from pregnant women, women newly diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer, people with disabilities and low-income parents whose health is essential for the well-being of their children. "This is an incredibly mean-spirited move if it were taken seriously but I donât think itâs serious," Levine says. Becker says his bill might not get consideration as a standalone measure but hopes it adds to the bigger conversation about Medicaid expansion.