Medicaid expansion is one of Republican Gov. John Kasich’s signature accomplishments, but it’s likely to be gone if either his lieutenant governor or the attorney general is elected to replace him. And that would create a crisis for some 700,000 Ohioans in Medicaid expansion, most of whom are chronically ill or drug addicted. Statehouse correspondent Karen Kasler asked both Republicans about their plans.
Mike DeWine and Mary Taylor both say Medicaid expansion is not sustainable. The attorney general says he believes Congress will give states flexibility through block grants and waivers to come up with customized Medicaid programs.
“We will design that program working with the General Assembly to take care of the problems we have, but we’ve got to make some changes.”
The lieutenant governorsays she’d do that too, but she’d also push voters to pass a billion-dollar bond issue with zero interest loans “to incentivize the private sector to build out the continuum of care that’s needed for all of those living in addiction today.”
Though DeWine says he’s being blunt, he’s been criticized for not being more specific about what he would do beyond redesigning Medicaid expansion with changes such as work requirements.
