VOICES: We didn’t vote to strip 770,000 Ohioans of their health care

At a time when Ohio should be strengthening support for its most vulnerable, lawmakers have passed a reckless proposal that will gut Medicaid, strip health care from hundreds of thousands of people, and deepen inequality across the state. Unless Governor DeWine uses his line-item veto power, House Bill 96 will take away Medicaid from the 770,000 Ohioans who received coverage with the 2014 expansion, and the consequences would be disastrous. Ohio has worked to cut its uninsured population in half, and this action would directly undo the good that came from this – fewer emergency room visits, shorter hospital stays, and less public spending on expanded preventative care.

Leading health care providers across the state, including human services agencies, health advocacy associations, and hospital systems, oppose this bill. Research consistently shows that funding Medicaid has a multiplier effect, meaning every dollar spent generates more than a dollar in economic activity. Medicaid is foundational to Ohio’s economic success and ensures people have the health care they need to work, contribute, and thrive.

This bill would devastate providers committed to serving low-income patients, including Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, where nearly 43% of patients are covered by Medicaid. Many providers are already struggling with low Medicaid reimbursement rates, making it difficult to deliver comprehensive, accessible, and affordable care, including wellness exams, vaccines, cancer screenings, and other critical services. Ohioans want their tax dollars used to expand their health care options, not limit them.

Ohio is facing an extreme infant and maternal mortality crisis, ranking 44th in the nation. Cutting Medicaid now will only worsen the situation for Ohio children and mothers, who could now be delayed or denied care for treatable conditions, increasing the likelihood of pregnancy complications that risk the life and/or health of both the pregnant person and their child. Not only will HB 96 devastate the infant and maternal population, but 25.6% of Ohioans will lose their health care coverage. The impact of stripping over three-quarters of a million Ohioans of their healthcare would be catastrophic statewide, particularly in metropolitan and Appalachian counties, including Clermont and Highland, representing the highest rates of Medicaid expansion enrollment.

HB 96 is a political grenade Republicans are throwing into their own districts. I have submitted testimony against this bill four times, among hundreds of other concerned Ohioans who don’t want our communities to get worse. Voters didn’t ask for this. In fact, they’ve consistently supported access to reproductive health care and investments in health equity. This isn’t hypothetical–there are real life consequences to these policies: cancers will go undetected; it will be harder than ever to get birth control; the nation’s STI crisis will worsen; Planned Parenthood health centers will close, making it significantly harder to get abortion care; and people across the country will suffer. As a state, we cannot afford the catastrophic impacts this would have on our healthcare system, nor can we feign ignorance when the likely outcome is so clearly laid before us.

This bill isn’t about Ohio’s future. It’s about short-term politics and long-term pain.

All Ohioans deserve affordable, accessible, and comprehensive health care. Stripping away these rights is simply unconscionable. Our budget should reflect our state’s collective priorities, not a politically advantageous opportunity to justify extended tax cuts and benefits for the most privileged and wealthy among us. Ohioans deserve better.

Danielle Firsich is the director of public policy for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio.

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