By Noyonikaa Gupta (M1) and Shannon Lam (M2), Northeast Ohio Medical University
Please note that all opinions expressed are strictly our own and do not represent the medical school that we attend.
At the end of 2024, the state of Ohio proposed changes to Medicaid eligibility that would require people between the ages of 19 and 55 to prove they are employed in order to receive coverage. These new work requirements is projected to strip over 60,000 Ohioans of healthcare coverage. The state claims that, overall, the new requirements will encourage sustained employment and that health outcomes will improve due to an increase in one’s personal involvement and engagement with their healthcare because of employment and/or education (Ohio Department of Medicaid). Similar efforts in other states around the country have been largely unsuccessful; Arkansas spent more money on administration than they would have had they just maintained coverage. It did not push more people into the workforce, but rather became another significant barrier to receiving healthcare for those who need it most. In fact, in 2013, Ohio governor John Kasich described Medicaid expansion through the Affordable Care Act as a “matter of life and death.”
While Portage County has an unemployment rate that is well below the national value (4.5% versus 5.0%), unemployment and underemployment are still issues that the population faces. In fact, in 2023 the OhioMeansJobs (OMJ) Portage County Center saw an overall increase in utilization of services in addition to taking on over 350 new customers. The OMJ served over 1800 total customers in 2023. This demonstrates that citizens are still committed to finding work and/or finding jobs that better suit their qualifications and goals. And, in 2023, Portage County “met and exceeded the 90% of Medicaid renewals completed during all countable months” (2023 Portage County Annual Report), which shows just how valuable Medicaid services and resources are to the citizens of Portage County.
Stripping Medicaid access from citizens suffering from illness and disease inevitably prevents them from receiving vital healthcare and keeps them out of the workforce for even longer–a counterproductive measure. Low-income individuals who rely on Medicaid are more likely to have language barriers or lack of access to internet services that will make it more difficult to prove their employment and prevent them from having access to insurance. Access to quality healthcare is a human right, and creating barriers and unequal access widens health disparities. As concerned medical students, we believe that the newly proposed Medicaid work requirements will harm Ohioans. Medicaid provides access to necessary mental health services and helps lower medical debt. Our future patients deserve better. Our future patients deserve access to healthcare regardless of their work or financial status.
