Medicaid in the 12-13 state budget

Using the law to fight poverty since 1966

July 1, 2011

Dear Editor/Reporter,

 As you sift through the 3,262-page Ohio budget and decide how to cover the unfolding story, we wanted to offer you the expertise of the Ohio Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit law office that pursues statewide policy and systemic advocacy to expand, protect and enforce the legal rights of low income Ohioans. Our staff of seven lawyers has a combined 159 years of experience advocating for the poor.

 Times have never been more difficult for the most vulnerable Ohioans: nearly 1 in 3 live at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level and more than 2.5 million (more than 1 in 5) rely on Medicaid for their health care needs. Though this budget could have been worse for the poor, it will nevertheless put increased pressure on those who have the least.

“We were happy to see that the state budget maintained Medicaid eligibility and optional services,” said OPLC Executive Director, Gene King. “We hope that we can now work to improve timely access to services, especially in rural areas.”

"We applaud expanding Medicaid home health programs to reduce the need for unnecessary nursing home stays that disrupt the lives of Ohio’s seniors. We hope that the funds allotted for at home services are sufficient to meet the growing needs.”

The poverty law center concentrates its efforts in several areas: education, public benefits, utilities, family law, consumer advocacy and foreclosures, to name a few.

If you’d like to talk to Gene King or any of our lawyers, feel free to contact us.

 Sincerely,

 Bill Eichenberger

Communication Director, Ohio Poverty Law Center

Phone: 614-8242507

Cell: 614-226-7016