Kasich discusses potential Medicaid expansion

Yesterday Gov. John Kasich said he views expansion of Medicaid eligibility under the ACA as separate from "Obamacare," but gave no definitive statement on whether the expansion will be included in his budget proposal next week (Source: "Kasich gives insights on Medicaid expansion," Associated Press via the Canton Repository, Jan. 31, 2013).

“I think probably many of you suspect what I’m going to do,” Kasich told reporters Thursday. “If you’ve followed me for the last couple of years, and as you’ve gotten to know me better, you kind of know how I feel about things like this.”

The governor has said for months that he plans to make the decision known when he unveils his budget proposal on Monday.

“I don’t view this as Obamacare at all,” Kasich said Thursday during a legislative preview session for journalists organized by The Associated Press. “Obamacare, you know, involving an individual mandate, I don’t support. ...  But this is a different issue. This is about people who are at the lower economic end.”

Last month, 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