Ohio House Democrats Deliver Medicaid Protections, But Ohio Families Still Need Action on Affordability

COLUMBUS - The Ohio House Democrats today highlighted that while Ohio families continue to struggle with rising costs for housing, groceries, childcare, and health care, the Republican majority went on a five month recess for the summer without taking meaningful action to address the affordability challenges facing working people across our state.

Ohio House Democrats remain focused on building an Ohio that families can afford. That means lowering costs, protecting access to health care, supporting workers and caregivers, and ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly. Democrats have introduced numerous packages of bills aimed at lowering energy, housing, healthcare, childcare, and consumer costs while simultaneously putting funds back into the pockets of everyday Ohioans and eliminating loopholes for the wealthiest few.

This week, Ohio House Democrats successfully fought to improve legislation aimed at addressing Medicaid fraud, waste, and abuse. Democrats believe fraud should be investigated, taxpayer dollars should be protected, and bad actors should be held accountable, but also believe that Ohio can accomplish those goals without putting health care access at risk for the seniors, children, people with disabilities, and working families who rely on Medicaid every day.

"If there is massive fraud, waste, and abuse in the system, that is at the feet of the people who have been responsible for that system for the last decade or two. That's the people responsible for auditing that waste, investigating and prosecuting that waste, running the Medicaid department, and legislating to have oversight over it," said Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn (D-Cincinnati).

"That's the auditor, the attorney general, the governor, and the state senate and the state house. So, if there is massive fraud, waste, and abuse, that's where the fault lies for why we haven't done anything about it. Now, if we are going to do something about it, and this is the second piece, it should be a bill that actually makes sense, that actually addresses the problem. Instead, what we saw last week was one of the cruelest pieces of legislation that has been introduced in a very long time," Minority Leader Dani Isaacsohn concluded.

Throughout the legislative process, Ohio House Democrats secured significant improvements to the Medicaid legislation, including:

• Ensuring no provider can be suspended or penalized based solely on artificial intelligence. Every determination must be reviewed by a human being.
• Protecting access to in-home personal care by adding guardrails to prior authorization requirements and preserving flexibility based on individuals' care plans.
• Securing exemptions from electronic visit verification requirements for family caregivers who live with the person they care for and for certain residents in assisted living facilities.
• Scaling back overly broad GPS tracking requirements that would have burdened providers without improving care outcomes.
• Providing local governments with a 12-month pilot period before new non-emergency medical transportation requirements take effect.
• Removing mandatory prison sentences and mandatory financial penalties.
• Requiring Ohio Department of Medicaid approval before payments to providers can be stopped.
• Ensuring recovered Medicaid funds remain in the Medicaid program rather than being diverted elsewhere.
• Protecting SNAP eligibility for Ohioans receiving food assistance.
• Removing restrictions on hospice care.
• Removing restrictions on publicly funded childcare.
• Eliminating a provision that would have targeted family caregivers.

Ohio House Democrats specifically recognize the leadership of State Representatives Rachel Baker (D- Cincinnati) and Bride Rose Sweeney (D-Westlake), whose advocacy helped secure critical protections for patients, caregivers, providers, and families throughout the legislative process.

While Republicans continue to prioritize legislation that fails to lower costs for Ohio families, Ohio House Democrats remain committed to advancing policies that address the real affordability challenges facing Ohioans. Democrats have consistently championed efforts to reduce prescription drug costs, expand access to affordable health care, support family caregivers, strengthen public education, and make housing and childcare more affordable.