Ohio Governor to Expand State’s Medicaid Program, Helping to Break the Logjam among Republican Governors

Today, Ohio Governor John Kasich announced that he intends to expand the state’s Medicaid program as authorized by the Affordable Care Act. The following is the statement of Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA, about this development:

“Governor Kasich’s decision will not only help hundreds of thousands of Ohioans, but it will also help to break the logjam among Republican governors who are considering a similar expansion.

“As a budget expert, Governor Kasich undoubtedly knew that turning down this expansion would be an act of fiscal malpractice. With the federal government picking up 100 percent of the expansion costs over the next three years, and never less than 90 percent thereafter, states will receive unprecedented federal help in serving their residents.

“Now that Republican governors in Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Ohio have decided to implement the Medicaid expansion, we can expect other Republican governors to follow suit.”

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Families USA is the national organization for health care consumers. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan and advocates for high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

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202-628-3030 · Email: info@familiesusa.org · www.familiesusa.org