Gov. John Kasich has been a regular guest on national news shows, talking about the importance of keeping Medicaid expansion in whatever changes are made to the Affordable Care Act. Statehouse correspondent Karen Kasler talked to Kasich about the future of what's considered by some to be his signature achievement as governor.
Kasich’s decision to expand Medicaid in 2013 was controversial, and still is to some. But Kasich thinks he’s made the case that expanding Medicaid to some 700,000 Ohioans has helped with the opioid crisis.
“I feel pretty good about where we are, but we have to always be thinking about ways to make the system better.”
When reminded that two Republicans who want to replace him said they’d get rid of Medicaid expansion and the other two Republicans are lukewarm on it, Kasich said, “Everybody says things in a campaign. I said a lot of things in the campaign but I didn’t end up doing them.”
State lawmakers tried to freeze enrollment in Medicaid expansion in the budget, but Kasich vetoed that provision. That veto could be overridden anytime between now and the end of next year.
