AARP backs Kasich's Medicaid expansion plan

“AARP Ohio commends the governor for proposing to expand Medicaid to provide coverage for hardworking people who’ve paid in all their lives but are now struggling to make ends meet. The governor’s decision will be of significant help to 50 to 64-year-olds who’ve lost their jobs or are struggling in lower-paying jobs without health insurance and cannot currently qualify for Medicaid health coverage. It will help more Ohioans get access to quality and preventive care so that they can be healthier and more productive. This decision also will reduce costly emergency visits, and catch and treat at an earlier stage those suffering from chronic disease, which becomes an even bigger problem as we age.”

 

The Ohio Chamber of Commerce also released a statement showing its support for Governor Kasich.

“The question of whether or not to expand Medicaid is a complex one; however, doing so is ultimately the right decision,” said Keith Lake, vice president of government affairs for the Ohio Chamber of Commerce. “Due to cost shifting resulting from uncompensated care, employers are already paying a hidden tax that makes their health insurance premiums higher than they should be. Without expansion, this cost shifting would be even more severe.  Despite our support for expansion, we, too, have serious concerns about the future costs of the program,” noted Lake. “So we strongly support the governor’s commitment to rolling back expansion if the federal government fails to provide the levels of funding promised in the ACA.”