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Gov. Strickland pushes for health care for all children
During Hamilton clinic visit, he outlines plan to expand health coverage for Ohio's underinsured children.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
HAMILTON — During a visit to Hamilton on Wednesday, Gov. Ted Strickland said he wants every child in the state to have access to health coverage, a proposal in his budget.
Expanding two programs in the budget would do the trick, Strickland said after he toured the Ernst J. Bever Community Health Center early Wednesday afternoon. Surrounding Strickland during his speech were two families that have had problems getting health coverage. In all, about 50 people — including local officials — listened to the governor's speech.
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First, Strickland said the Child Health Insurance Program should be available to families with an income that is 300 percent of the poverty line instead of the 200 percent threshold currently.
"That has been approved by both houses and both parties. That's going to happen," he said.
Secondly, Strickland parents should have the ability to buy into Medicaid to provide health coverage for their children.
He recalled the story of a father he met in Shelby County a few weeks earlier. The man, Strickland said, couldn't get medical coverage for his son because of pre-existing leukemia.
"It's not right that that father can't get coverage for his son," Strickland said. "But, if that father could buy into Medicaid, he could get coverage."
Middletown resident Utawna Leap said she constantly worries about medical coverage for her 5-year-old daughter Lianna Bryant. Lianna has quadriplegic mixed-type cerebral palsy.
Bryant said she has attempted to get Medicaid coverage for her daughter, but hasn't succeeded.
"If something was to happen to our private insurance, we'd be in trouble," she said.
Strickland said health care for all children is the first step. The ultimate goal is health care for all.
The Bever Center is one of two clinics for the Butler County Community Health Consortium. The governor's proposal to increase access to Medicaid will assist the consortium, said Colleen Smith, its executive director. She said 80 percent of the consortium's patients are at or below the poverty line and almost all of the remaining 20 percent are below the 300 percent threshold the Strickland desires.
"Most of our money comes from Medicaid," she said.
Smith said 4,000 patients made 11,000 visits to consortium clinics last year. She expects that number to increase this year.
Strickland said clinics like the Bever Center are lifelines for a lot of people in the state.
"These clinics are the ultimate safety nets ... where people go when there is no place else to go," he said.
To accomplish the two medical endeavors he advocated Wednesday, Strickland said it would cost about $60 million. The two-year state budget is expected to be about $52 billion.
The state budget must be passed and signed into law by July 1.
Strickland said he has talked to leaders from both parties and he is confident that most of the issues he's advocated will make the final cut.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2190 or jrinaldi@coxohio.com.