Ohio Group Takes Steps To Advance Medicaid Expansion As Ballot Initiative
The coalition, which is made up of health care providers, unions, businesses, religious organizations and others, views this effort as its back up plan if state legislators block Gov. John Kasich's push to expand the low income health insurance program.
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Group Takes First Steps Toward Putting Medicaid Expansion In Ohio On The Ballot For A Vote
A group pressing for expansion of Medicaid in Ohio to cover the working poor began the process today to force the General Assembly to consider it or face having it go to voters. Healthy Ohioans Work, a registered action committee, took the first step Wednesday when it filed paperwork with the Ohio attorney general for a law proposed by initiative petition. The proposal was accompanied by signatures from registered voters needed to get the process started (Higgs, 9/4).
Columbus Dispatch: Ballot Is 'Plan B' For Expanding Medicaid
If lawmakers don't approve Gov. John Kasich's plan to expand Medicaid, voters could decide whether to give tax-funded health coverage to an additional 275,000 poor Ohioans. A coalition of health-care providers, unions, businesses, religious organizations and other advocates for the uninsured launched a campaign yesterday that could put the plan on the November 2014 statewide ballot (Candisky, 9/5).
In addition, here's more news from Indiana -
CQ HealthBeat: Will One-Year Medicaid Waiver Extensions Drive Debates Over Expansion?
Negotiations over a potential expansion of Medicaid in Indiana can begin in earnest now that the Obama administration has granted Republican Gov. Mike Pence’s request to keep a Medicaid program that waived federal rules in place for one year (Adams, 9/4).
The Washington Post's Wonk Blog: Deep-Red Indiana Might Just Expand Medicaid
Michigan is the latest state to back the health law’s Medicaid expansion, bringing the total of states opting-in to 25. Could neighboring Indiana be next? The state isn’t currently on board and, on Tuesday, finalized a deal with the federal government that will just barely increase cover in the Hoosier State. But coming out of those negotiations, state officials and experts think there could be space for Indiana and the federal government to carve out a full Medicaid expansion–one that stands to look significantly different than other state plans (Kliff, 9/4).