Batchelder voices concerns about Medicaid expansion

GOP leaders in the General Assembly indicated this week that they are still undecided on whether to support an expansion of Medicaid eligibilty under the Affordable Care Act (Source: "Kasich concerned with Medicaid," Associated Press via the Marion Star, Jan. 23, 2013).

While Gov. John Kasich is expected to decide soon whether a Medicaid expansion will be included in his proposed budget, House Speaker William Batchelder said his caucus is wrestling with both financial and philosophical questions about the expansion.

“Obviously our caucus has concern about any expansion of that program simply because of the expenses,” Batchelder told reporters. “It’s just huge, and so we’re going to have to spend time doing research and so forth.”

The U.S. Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act last June gave states the option to expand Medicaid eligibility for nearly all residents with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level.

Last week, the Ohio Medicaid Expansion Study, a partnership between the Health Policy Institute of Ohio, the Ohio State University, Regional Economic Models, Inc. and the Urban Institute released its preliminary findings on the impact of potentially expanding eligibility for Medicaid in Ohio. 

A summary of the findings (revised Jan. 18, 2013) can be downloaded here