The benefits of healthcare coverage were observed firsthand in Mansfield on Tuesday, thanks to the stories of local community members and a presentation from members of Gov. John Kasich’s Cabinet.
The Ohio Area Agency on Aging hosted Greg Moody, Director of Kasich’s Office of Health Transformation and Tracy Plouck, Director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services on Tuesday, where both spoke of how healthcare coverage is working to transform the lives of Ohioans.
Specifically, Moody and Plouck addressed Kasich’s healthcare-related state budget priorities and the benefits of extending Medicaid coverage.
“Two years ago we were saying hypothetically we think it might help if we were to extend coverage to more people, and it was very hard to make that case,” said Moody. “But primarily through the leadership of the governor – who never once hesitated and really believed it was the right thing to do – we were able to get that done.
“And now because of your stories and thousands of stories just like yours, we know it made a difference. We know coverage works, we know it’s helping people stay connected to their lives and connected to employment, and I think it is easier this time around to say it was the right decision.”
Beginning Jan. 1, 2014, adults between the ages of 19 and 64, who are between zero and 138 percent of the Federal Poverty Level and not eligible under other categories, became eligible for Medicaid coverage in Ohio. Joe Trolian, Executive Director of Richland County Mental Health and Recovery Services, explained the Medicaid expansion is up before legislation again as part of the governor’s budget to improve funding.
“We just want to encourage our legislators that this is working,” said Trolian. “It was a very controversial issue when it first came up. We’re not just putting people on the system, they’re getting healthy and getting back to work; and they’re going to start moving off the system just as quickly. We want them to stick with the process.”
“We’re taking nothing for granted, we know we need to make a very strong case with the legislature that extending coverage was the right decision and we need to see it through,” said Moody.
Richland County Domestic Relations Judge Heather Cockley and METRICH drug enforcement task force commander Lt. Joy Stortz shared their perspectives concerning how healthcare coverage is working in Mansfield and Richland County to provide law enforcement and judges with more treatment options as they work to address drug abuse and its impact on families.
“One of the hardest populations in the past to get hold of Medicaid was the drug and alcohol population,” Trolian explained. “Now we’re actually seeing them as being one of our highest Medicaid-funded sources, which is allowing more people to access services.”
One person who knows the importance of access to services better than most is Kristin Fairbanks, who has been struggling with drug addiction for the past 10 years. Fairbanks shared that before the Medicaid expansion she was not able to receive the treatment she needed. After the expansion went into place she was able to seek medical treatment immediately.
“I was able to get in treatment IOP (intensive outpatient treatment),” said Fairbanks. “I had a relapse in IOP but I was able to get into New Beginnings, an in-patient facility, and I think that’s what I really needed. I’m able to see a mental health counselor; I’m getting all my medical issues taken care of. With this Medicaid expansion I’m able to get all the help that I need. I think it really saved my life.”
“Today we were able to see firsthand in Richland County how coverage is working to transform individual lives and provides our judges and allies in law enforcement more tools to address serious societal problems,” stated Moody in a press release. “We in the Kasich administration are working every day to improve our healthcare system and to ensure that it is run efficiently and is accountable to taxpayers.”
“We’re not just putting people on the system, they’re getting healthy and getting back to work; and they’re going to start moving off the system just as quickly,” said Joe Trolian.
