New Ohio House Speaker: Expect Major Medicaid Cuts
COLUMBUS, Ohio—The Republican newly chosen as Ohio’s House speaker says big Medicaid cuts are likely in the face of an expected $8 billion state budget shortfall.
Rep. William Batchelder tells The Columbus Dispatch the state will have to seek federal permission to put “a lot” of new limits on Medicaid eligibility. The program provides health insurance for the poor and disabled.
NBC 4 spoke to officials a local rehab center Wednesday, who talked about the impact on local health care.
At Regency Manor Rehabilitation and Subacute Center, rehab is a daily occurrence.
Many patients are brought to the facility for therapy and long-term nursing care.
Like most facilities across the state, they have had to make cuts in their budgets to make ends meet.
“It is becoming extremely difficult for us to provide the same quality of care that we have been providing for many years,“ said Rafael Fonseca, executive director of Regency Manor Rehabilitation and Subacute Center.
Now with the talk that Medicaid might be cut from many nursing homes and long-term care facilities, the worries about providing care is an increasing concern and Fonseca said there are some things that they just can’t do without.
“Certain things that are fixed costs we cannot cut back, so that would only leave all the areas cut back, staff, we would have to look at,“ Fonseca said.
Fonseca said that direct staff cuts would be a last resort.
Karen Tucker is at the facility because of an infection in her back and said that if she doesn’t get the rehab she needs, she probably won’t be able to walk, and Medicaid is her only option.
“Because I have no family and I am unemployed, I have no assets, no income, so I rely heavily on Medicaid in this situation,“ Tucker said.
She depends on Regency Manor for transportation to and from her aftercare physicians, and if that was to be cut, she said she doesn’t know what she would do.
“I can tell you, if things were cut that there would be many people that rely on their everyday services—their hygiene assistance, their therapy,“ Tucker said.
For now, like other healthcare facilities, Regency Manor is bracing for the worst and hopes that they can continue to provide the same quality of care.
Batchelder talked to the newspaper Tuesday after a speech to Ohio retailers in which he said the budget poses a “huge challenge” for lawmakers.
The GOP won a majority in the Ohio House on Election Day following two years of Democratic control.
Batchelder’s fellow Republicans elected him speaker on Wednesday. He’s a 34-year veteran of the Ohio House.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
