By Will Petrik, Director of Policy & Advocacy, RISE Together Innovation Institute
We should all have the healthcare we need when we get sick. But the DeWine administration is proposing a policy that would take healthcare away from an estimated 52,000 people in Franklin County who are already struggling to make ends meet.
RISE Together is deeply concerned about this proposal. While we agree with Governor DeWine’s stated goals —promoting economic stability and improving health outcomes — the evidence suggests his proposal will achieve the opposite.
Instead of helping Ohioans thrive, this proposal will likely:
Strip thousands of Franklin County residents of their healthcare coverage.
Worsen health outcomes for people left without coverage.
Create additional barriers to economic stability.
We’ve seen this before, and people were disenrolled from Medicaid and lost their healthcare coverage. In 2018, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson announced that his state would be the first to implement a new element to the Medicaid program that had never been done before: work requirements. At the time, Hutchinson claimed the policy would improve work outcomes for residents with low-incomes.
The rollout did not go as Hutchinson said it would. The actual result was over 18,000 residents lost their health care coverage. The state disenrolled most of these residents from Medicaid due to new burdensome reporting requirements rather than people failing to meet the new requirements. It took less than a year for a federal judge to strike down the requirement, ruling it undermined the core intent of the Medicaid program: to provide medical coverage to people who need it.
Thousands of Ohioans would lose healthcare coverage
Research shows that work requirements in Medicaid do not lead to more economic stability but instead result in thousands losing coverage. The Ohio Department of Medicaid estimates that 61,826 residents will lose their “Medicaid eligibility” under the proposed changes. Let’s be clear: this means an estimated 62,000 Ohioans will lose their healthcare coverage through Medicaid.
And, according to research by the Center for Community Solutions (CCS), the estimate of people who could lose coverage is much higher. In Franklin County alone, CCS estimates that roughly 8,000 residents will lose coverage and 52,000 residents will be at-risk of losing health insurance coverage. Many of the people who would be impacted by this proposal are already working in sectors like caregiving, retail, and hospitality, where hours are unpredictable and wages are unstable.
Many residents are also likely to lose coverage due to new bureaucratic red tape, as demonstrated by similar policies in Arkansas, where over 10,000 residents were disenrolled for reasons unrelated to compliance with work requirements.
Cancelling healthcare coverage puts lives at risk
When people lose healthcare, they often delay necessary treatments, leading to worse health outcomes, higher medical debt, and in some cases, life-threatening consequences.
Research consistently shows that Medicaid expansion improves health, reduces financial strain, and even saves lives. In a literature review conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 138 studies published from 2014 to 2019 found improved insurance coverage due to Medicaid expansion and 115 studies found improved access to and utilization of care. No studies were identified that found less coverage or less care utilization under Medicaid expansion. Fifty studies found Medicaid expansion fueled healthcare affordability and financial security. Again, no studies found an effect in the opposite direction. This proposal will reduce access to Medicaid, leaving many residents sicker and more vulnerable.
Economic stability requires access to healthcare
Healthcare is a cornerstone of economic stability. Without it, individuals are more likely to miss work, lose their jobs, or fall into deeper financial hardship. For the 39% of Franklin County households struggling to cover basic needs like rent, food, and childcare, Medicaid provides a lifeline.
Despite claims to the contrary, work requirements do not lead to significant increases in employment or financial independence. A Congressional Budget Office analysis from 2023 concluded that such policies “have a negligible impact on employment status or hours worked.” Instead, they create unnecessary barriers, particularly for those already working or caring for loved ones.
A better path forward
If we want to promote economic stability and improve health outcomes, we must focus on removing systemic barriers. This means expanding access to affordable childcare and affordable housing, investing in job training and workforce development, and ensuring that all Ohioans can access the healthcare they need to thrive.
We urge the Governor DeWine and Ohio Department of Medicaid Director Corcoran to reconsider this proposal and prioritize solutions that truly promote opportunity and well-being for all Ohioans. Policies that support rather than punish will lead to healthier, more economically secure communities.
Take 3 actions today to protect our neighbors
Join us in opposing this policy which will leave many of our neighbors without the healthcare they need to thrive.
Sign on to the Advocates for Ohio’s Future letter by 12 noon on January 21. Individuals and organizations are welcome to sign-on.
Email your comments and/or questions to the Ohio Department of Medicaid (GroupVIII@medicaid.ohio.gov) by 5:00 pm on Tuesday, January 21. This blog from Kathryn Poe with Policy Matters Ohio provides tips for sending an email with comments to the Ohio Department of Medicaid.
Encourage people in your network to learn more and take action. Please share the sign-on letter and this blog with your community on your social media. Together, we can let people know what’s at stake and what people can do to try to stop this proposal.
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