Candidate Flyer on Expansions OHIO RECEIVES LONG-AWAITED APPROVAL TO COVER MORE KIDS

Health Expansion Updates

Through implementation of the children’s coverage expansions approved in the current state budget, we are poised to cross the finish line in children’s coverage. At the same time, we are coming upon a historic opportunity to make progress in insuring our state’s uninsured adults. With Ohioans working together, we can solve the problem of people living without health coverage. Bipartisan leadership and support have made the children’s coverage expansions possible in the 2008-09 state budget.

Voices for Ohio’s Children was awarded one of nine Finish Line Project grants from the David and Lucille Packard Foundation in early 2008. The Finish Line is a new multiyear, multi-state grant project that provides financial and technical support to state based advocacy organizations in states that are positioned to make significant advances in children’s coverage. One goal of the Finish Line Project is to help secure successful implementation of Ohio’s new health expansions. The descriptions of the expansions are outlined in the flyer for distribution provided in the link on the right.

TurnAround Ohio Health Care Expansion Toolkit

The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS) TurnAround Ohio Health Care Expansion Toolkit website is now updated with the available expansion programs. The Childrens Buy-in Program is the most recent program that became available on April 1, 2008. Families interested in obtaining more information about the Childrens Buy-in Program can go to the Turnaround Ohio Toolkit to get all the information available about this program.

Other health care expansion programs available in The Turnaround Ohio Toolkit are:

• Increased income limit for pregnant women from 150% of the federal poverty level to 200% FPL. (Began January 2008)
• Coverage for certain youths between ages 18-21 who have aged out of foster care. (Began January 2008)
• New program providing coverage workers with disabilities. (Began 4/1/08)

Other States Experience to Expand Coverage

Ohio is currently seeking approval to expand health care coverage to children up to 250% of the federal poverty level. This is a summary of two states’ recent experiences in seeking federal approval for expanding children’s health coverage beyond 200% of the federal poverty level.

Ohio has already been denied approval by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand health coverage for children living in household incomes up to 300% of poverty level and is currently seeking expansion up to 250% of poverty level. Read about the experiences of Louisiana and Wisconsin on their recent efforts to expand children eligibility beyond 200% of the federal poverty level.