Ohio Budget Director: Proposal Would Fund Medicaid Expansion

Ohio's budget director says the governor's two-year spending plan would continue to fund an expansion of the Medicaid health program. Republican Gov. John Kasich's administration extended Medicaid eligibility in 2013 to cover thousands more low-income residents, as allowed under President Barack Obama's health care law. Kasich needs legislative approval to continue funding it after June. Budget director Tim Keen said Monday that Kasich's budget appropriates money to continue the expansion. Obama's law calls for Washington to pay the full cost of the extension through 2016 and 95 percent in 2017, so Ohio will have to kick in some money to support the expansion. Ohio Medicaid also will seek authority from federal officials to charge a monthly premium to recipients at or above 100 percent of the federal poverty level.