Columbus, OH – On Friday, the Ohio Department of Insurance and the Ohio Department of Medicaid kicked-off the public comment period for two Medicaid waivers that will be submitted to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Rea S. Hederman Jr., who is executive director of the Economic Research Center at The Buckeye Institute, vice president of policy, and a nationally recognized expert on health care policy, and the author of Returning Health Care Power to the States: The Affordable Care Act’s Section 1332 Waiver for State Innovation, issued the following statement.
“Last week, the state of Ohio took the initial step towards improving health care for Ohioans, ensuring that Medicaid is available to the neediest and is sustainable for future generations.
“In requesting a waiver that will include a work or community engagement requirement for healthy adults, Ohio will bring its Medicaid program in-line with other federal-state welfare programs that already require beneficiaries to work or engage in work-related activities. The new waiver signals that healthy adults need to work, volunteer, or attend school in order to receive their Medicaid benefits. This is a good step forward, but more reforms are needed such as cost sharing provisions like premiums, health savings accounts, a limitation on retroactive eligibility, and other tools that prepare and help Medicaid recipients transition to private health care coverage.
“Many of these policies are contained in the Healthy Ohio program that the General Assembly has long sought but was vetoed in the last budget. While the Ohio House of Representatives has overridden that veto, the Senate must still act in order to move the program forward.
“The second waiver follows through on an idea that was initially developed and championed by The Buckeye Institute, which is using a 1332 state innovation waiver to exempt Ohio from the individual mandate. This innovation waiver should be easily approved by the federal government, since the current mandate penalty has been eliminated by Congress. Through this waiver, Ohioans will be protected from the individual mandate tax for the next five years, even if Congress reinstates the mandate penalty. Like the Medicaid waiver, this innovation waiver is only one step on the road to a better health care system.
“Over the past year, the Trump Administration has promised flexibility in working with the states, and they have started to deliver. It is smart policy for Ohio to seize this opportunity but more is needed to fix both Medicaid and the insurance markets and ensure they work for Ohioans.”
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