Mark,
Thank you for all of your hard work on this.  You did a great job with
the message!
Janice

On 10/11/2013 12:04 pm, Mark Davis wrote:
> Today, Governor John Kasich announced that the extension of health
> care benefits to low-wage workers will be on the October 21st
> Controlling Board agenda. He will ask the panel to allocate federal
> funds to extend Medicaid health insurance benefits to 275,000 Ohioans
> who currently live without insurance. This is a clear pathway to get
> Medicaid expansion in place by January 1, 2014.
>
> OPRA stands behind Governor Kasich. We commend the Administration for
> its vigilance in pursuing a state plan amendment and taking the
> necessary steps to place the appropriation before the Controlling
> Board. OPRA urges the Controlling Board to approve the appropriation.
>
> Among the Ohioans who would receive Medicaid benefits are OPRA’s
> direct support professionals with incomes under 138 percent of
> poverty, along with more than 26,000 veterans and more than 50,000
> Ohioans with unmet behavioral health needs. Extension would also bring
> relief for employers faced with the Affordable Care Act mandate for
> employer-sponsored health care. This would equate to estimated savings
> of $20 million annually for OPRA members alone.
>
> OPRA has been working hard for many months to bring about health care
> reform generally and Medicaid extension specifically. Our efforts have
> focused largely on supporting either a legislative solution or a
> ballot initiative to achieve this latter goal. However, the
> Controlling Board approach was always on the table and has seemed
> increasingly more likely in recent weeks.
>
> We recognize that the Controlling Board approach may well pose a
> challenge to the leaders of the Ohio General Assembly. It might also
> spur a legal challenge from organizations seeking to delay or defeat
> _any_ undertaking to extend health care coverage in Ohio.
>
> Nevertheless, we believe Governor Kasich has assessed his options
> thoughtfully and is proceeding down the path he believes has the most
> promise for success. He has the full support of OPRA.
>
> Here is an article on Ohio getting approval from CMS to proceed down
> this path, if the governor decided to pursue it.
> http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2013/10/ohio_gains_federal_approval_to.html#incart_river_default
> [1]
>
> Here is information from the Governor's Office of Health
> Transformation on the extension of Medicaid coverage.
> http://www.healthtransformation.ohio.gov/Budget/ExtendMedicaidServices.aspx
> [2]
>
> Please watch your email for how you can be helpful in making Medicaid
> extension a reality for our direct support professionals and other
> uninsured Ohioans.
>
> Mark Davis
> President
> Ohio Provider Resource Association
> 1152 Goodale Blvd.
> Columbus, Ohio 43212
> 614-224-6772
>
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>
> Links:
> ------
> [1]
> http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2013/10/ohio_gains_federal_approval_to.html#incart_river_default
> [2]
> http://www.healthtransformation.ohio.gov/Budget/ExtendMedicaidServices.aspx