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Gov. Kasich Works for Bipartisan Healthcare Action in D.C. Visit

photo of Gov. John Kasich
KAREN KASLER
/
STATEHOUSE NEWS BUREAU
Gov. John Kasich (at podium) said that he didn't think Ohio could recover from the GOP's proposed healthcare cuts last month.

The White House is reportedly quietly restarting talks on health care reform, after the bill President Trump and Republicans back was pulled just hours before a vote on Friday. Gov. John Kasich said he was working on that issue too this week

Kasich said he was in Washington Monday talking to lawmakers about bipartisan action on health care reform.

He said both parties need to protect the people covered under Medicaid expansion who have mental illness, drug addiction and chronic diseases and for others who depend on health care.

“I do believe you gotta have both parties doing this. And I am just afraid that at the end if we don’t do that, we’re gonna have these folks affected if we don’t do it right. Do I think that the option is to do nothing? No. Do I think something’s going to change right away? No.”

Kasich also said he wants states to have more power and flexibility to dictate what will be covered on the list of essential health benefits, but said that covering mental health and drug addiction treatment should be mandated.

Karen is a lifelong Ohioan who has served as news director at WCBE-FM, assignment editor/overnight anchor at WBNS-TV, and afternoon drive anchor/assignment editor in WTAM-AM in Cleveland. In addition to her daily reporting for Ohio’s public radio stations, she’s reported for NPR, the BBC, ABC Radio News and other news outlets. She hosts and produces the Statehouse News Bureau’s weekly TV show “The State of Ohio”, which airs on PBS stations statewide. She’s also a frequent guest on WOSU TV’s “Columbus on the Record”, a regular panelist on “The Sound of Ideas” on ideastream in Cleveland, appeared on the inaugural edition of “Face the State” on WBNS-TV and occasionally reports for “PBS Newshour”. She’s often called to moderate debates, including the Columbus Metropolitan Club’s Issue 3/legal marijuana debate and its pre-primary mayoral debate, and the City Club of Cleveland’s US Senate debate in 2012.