Akron Beacon Journal (OH) December 27, 2018
Dec. 27--John
Kasich delivered as expected. The governor vetoed three controversial
bills last week as the end of his eight-year tenure approached. Now the
Republican majorities plan an attempt to override his action, with Thursday set
aside for a rare holiday gathering of the legislature. They will attempt to
preserve a most extreme and unconstitutional six-week ban on abortion, plus pay
increases for themselves and other public officials and a widening of gun
rights, prosecutors given the new task of proving a defendant did not act in
self-defense.
The governor acted
reasonably in each instance. If anything, he abandoned the logic of his own
thinking by signing into law another extreme and unconstitutional restriction
on abortion rights, legislation outlawing the most common procedure for
second-trimester abortions without exceptions for rape or incest.
And yet, one more
potential veto override looms, and it may pose the greatest harm in scope.
Recall that in signing the current state budget, the governor used his
line-item veto to remove language that would freeze the Medicaid expansion. He
vetoed other provisions, and the Republican majorities found the votes to mount
successful overrides. That hasn't been the case with the expansion freeze.
Will they try as
the legislative session comes to an end?
It is worth
stressing what a big mistake the freeze would be. It would deny access to
health care coverage that has been a boon to Ohio. The legislature called
for regular and independent assessments. Two have been conducted since the
start of the expansion in 2014. Each has revealed the clear benefit.
The expansion has
brought coverage to roughly 700,000 Ohioans with incomes just above the poverty
level. With coverage, they are more likely to see primary care physicians on a
regular basis. Thus, costly visits to emergency rooms have declined. In large
part, that is because chronic conditions, from diabetes to depression, have
been identified and managed effectively, leading to an improved quality of
life, including decreased medical debt.
Many served by the
Medicaid expansion already work. They report that steady coverage helps them
both stay employed and search for a job, perhaps with an employer offering
health insurance. Policy Matters Ohio recently performed an analysis of what
the state economy would look like in 2019 -- with or without the expansion. It
found the expansion would result in an additional 54,000 part-time and
full-time jobs. That hardly surprises given the influx of federal dollars
bolstering incomes and rippling through a health care industry key to the state
economy.
More, the benefits
flow to larger and smaller communities. The expansion has been a lifeline,
especially for hospitals in rural areas.
Ohio still
faces an opioid epidemic, and the expansion has been crucial to the state
response. As Loren Anthes of the Center for Community
Solutions notes, nearly 100,000 expansion enrollees face a substance abuse
disorder, and of the $940 million a year the state spends on
addiction, Medicaid accounts for $650 million -- with $300
million stemming from the expansion.
This role in the
opioid epidemic amounts to argument enough for resisting a freeze. The state
doesn't need a deeper addiction crisis. It is well served by the Medicaid
expansion, something it can afford in view of a decade or more of tax cuts
tilted heavily to wealthier households. The expansion reflects how government
can play an essential role in enhancing opportunity, putting Ohioans in a
better place to succeed.
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(c)2018 the Akron Beacon Journal (Akron, Ohio)
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