Dayton Business Journal...
Report: Medicaid cuts pose risks to Ohioans
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
By Laura Englehart 

A new report by several national health organizations shows that tens of thousands of Ohioans rely on Medicaid to treat serious medical conditions, and cuts to the program would pose a threat to those patients. 

The report, released jointly by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association, American Diabetes Association and Families USA, said there are 258,750 Ohioans in the Medicaid program. Of those, there are 241,250 with heart disease or stroke, 95,420 with diabetes and 24,700 with cancer. 

Medicaid, the national health insurance program for low-income individuals, operates on a partnership between the state and federal government. For each dollar Ohio contributes to the program, the federal government provides $1.75. 

Cuts to the program would put Ohioans with serious illnesses at risk. Even reducing benefits or passing more out-of-pocket costs on to patients can affect their ability to get the care they need, the report says. 

When patients cannot pay their health care bills, hospitals and doctors charge insurers more for services provided to patients with coverage to make up the difference, and insurers pass those hikes on to consumers and businesses. According to the report, in 2008 family coverage cost $1,017 more because of higher premium charges that resulted from insurers passing on uncompensated care costs. 

The report says that cuts to Medicaid would impact Ohioans in other ways. Workers in the program who cannot access medical care otherwise would lose productivity, and so would children in schools. Not only that, but cuts would mean fewer jobs. Even a 5 percent drop in Medicaid funding could cost 11,270 jobs in 2011. 

Read the rest of the story at Dayton Business Journal