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County Commissioners Association Announces Support For Medicaid Expansion
By: Lindsey Zimmerman
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The County Commissioners Association of Ohio (CCAO) has decided to support the Kasich administration's efforts to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
Larry Long, executive director of the CCAO, made the announcement at the Athens County Commissioners meeting Tuesday morning.
Long said that the decision is controversial but since the Affordable Care Act is here to stay for at least the next four years, the association believes that this was the right move.
Long said the "pragmatic expansion" would mostly assist single and unemployed people. There is currently no estimate as to exactly how large the expansion will be.
Long said that there is at least 275,000 individuals in Ohio currently receiving assistance from Medicaid and that the association wants to ensure that there is enough money to do the job.
Kasich has spoken of his support for Medicaid expansion on multiple occasions, most notably during his State of the State address last month.
He has said that although he does not support the Affordable Care Act, he believes that expanding the Medicaid program makes sense for Ohio.
Kasich is one of only a few Republican governors who currently supports Medicaid expansion.