LIMA — For gubernatorial candidate and current Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, the best path toward fixing Ohio’s opioid crisis is to push for market solutions.
“What I’ve proposed, as governor, I am prepared to put forward to the voters of Ohio a bond initiative to help incentivize the private sector to build out the continuum of care that is necessary to help these individuals heal their lives, and it would be a comprehensive approach,” Taylor said.
Taylor’s two sons have both suffered from opioid addiction in the past, and she said she is especially driven to ensure Ohio is able to deal with the rise in opioid-related deaths and its economic effects.
According to Taylor, private investment would be able to provide a wide range of services — treatment facilities, detox centers and transitional assistance — for those suffering from opioid addiction.
Gov. John Kasich has led Ohio down a slightly different approach than what Taylor proposes. This past year, Kasich vetoed a freeze on the state’s Medicaid expansion that currently insures a large population of opioid addicts. Taylor disagrees with the move and said the Medicaid expansion needs to be replaced by public investment into private solutions.
“Medicaid expansion is not sustainable either at the federal or state level. It is absolutely not sustainable,“ she said. “This is the most important social crisis that we face, and we shouldn’t build our solution on an unsustainable model. And that’s why I’m proposing a conservative approach which is the bond initiative — to incentivize the private sector and also looking at an Ohio solution to Obamacare.”
Taylor touted a direct care approach as a potential private solution. Direct care models work by having patients pay a flat monthly rate directly to a health care provider to access medical treatment when necessary. The model could be successful with a range of medical problems such as addiction, mental health and chronic illnesses, she said.
Taylor would accomplish these directives — cutting the Medicaid expansion and the opioid crisis bond initiative — through her first governor’s budget, she said.
Taylor’s running mate is Nathan Estruth, who has not held prior public office. Estruth has spent 27 years in the private sector including a decade as an officer and vice president at Procter & Gamble.
“I don’t believe there is a government solution to this. There’s not a government program or a government solution that is going to solve this crisis or provide hope, but I think government has a role to play,” Taylor said.
.neFileBlock {
margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
padding-bottom: 5px;
padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
font-size: 85%;
}
