The Ohio Senate’s Medicaid Finance Subcommittee wrapped up a three-part state tour with a stop in Dayton Tuesday. The committee heard from six major insurance providers.
At the crowded hearing the state’s large Medicaid providers started by touting their accomplishments. For example, Kim Crandall of United Healthcare said companies are getting better at helping patients navigate the system, which in turn cuts costs.
Crandall says, "When people are under crisis and healthcare crisis, they really sometimes can’t see the forest through the trees, and they need someone who can help direct them what the right next step is and then to continually keep them on the right path."
Others called for integrated mental and physical healthcare and better data-sharing across the state. But Medicaid expansion was largely the elephant in the room.
Republican state legislators are concerned about the cost of extending eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, but Governor John Kasich supports the expansion.
Committee members say they will discuss Medicaid reform when the Senate reconvenes next month.
