Ohio Republicans are in the process of “overhauling” Medicaid. They say they’re trying to root out “fraud” and “waste,” but there’s very little evidence of the widespread fraud they claim to be rampant. In reality, struggling families will pay the price.
One of the most controversial parts of this new Medicaid bill — HB 795 — is a ban on family members of Medicaid recipients being certified caregivers.
And here, the Ohio GOP is clearly parroting talking points from the Trump administration. Dr. Mehmet Oz, the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, visited Ohio last month and repeated the misinformation about fraud. “We don’t want everybody hiring their kids to carry the groceries up the stairs,” he said.
But the facts are clear. Home healthcare isn’t just less expensive than nursing home or other institutional care — it’s better for everyone involved. And in the case of mothers who are trying to keep a roof over their family’s heads and take care of their kids’ medical needs at the same time, Medicaid payments are an absolute necessity.
Marlana Kendricks is one of those moms. Her son Osiah has a rare developmental disability that leaves him nonverbal and prone to seizures. Marlana had to cut her work hours (and her pay) to take care of him, and without Medicaid, they simply couldn’t survive.
Marlana should never have had to travel to the Statehouse to plead for the right to take care of her own son, but her efforts paid off. Her fiery testimony, and the testimony of other Ohioans like her, actually convinced House Republicans to change the bill! They’re still pursuing cuts and changes that could affect thousands of families, but they took out the part that cut Medicaid to family caregivers. Republican State Rep. Josh Williams said it was “a direct result of listening to interested parties and constituents.”
Even in Ohio, where Republicans control both houses of their state legislature, speaking up can make a difference. This mama bear fought not just for her own son, but for families across the state, and lawmakers had no choice but to listen.
