Tagged: Medicaid

An estimated two thousand five hundred Ohioans stood out in the pouring rain at the state’s capitol today to do one thing – send a message to lawmakers to expand Medicaid in the state budget.

Democrats, Union leaders, Faith leaders of many different churches and leaders of business groups rally at the Ohio Statehouse….holding signs and chanting to lawmakers inside the building.

Republican Governor John Kasich says he still wants Ohio lawmakers to include Medicaid expansion in the Ohio budget. Yet Kasich says there are limits to what he, as Governor, can do to change the situation. He says it’s time for supporters of the Medicaid expansion plan to make the case for it with Republican lawmakers.

That involves this entire community, says Kasich.  "The provider community, mental health community, they just have to say how important it is to them."

Gov. John Kasich has been pitching his budget proposals throughout the state in a bid to win over Republican support. The governor made an impassioned plea for expanding Medicaid coverage in a speech at the City Club of Cleveland.

Kasich’s bid to expand the Medicaid program to cover about 450,000 additional Ohioans is troublesome to many Republicans.

The expansion is part of the federal healthcare reform law that Republicans oppose. Many see it as an eventual cost burden for the state.