I’ve long admired Senator Rob Portman as a principled conservative who first and foremost does what is best for Ohioans. Recently, I have been particularly impressed by his publicly voicing his concerns regarding the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the bill that was passed by House Republicans to replace Obamacare.
As the Hardin County Republican Party Chairman, no one wants to repeal Obamacare more than me. But as Senator Portman explained, the House-passed version of the AHCA “does not do enough to protect Ohio’s Medicaid expansion population, especially those who are receiving treatment for heroin and prescription drug abuse.” This is especially concerning given that Ohio is “ground zero” of the nation’s opioid crisis.
In fact, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that it will cut $834 million from Medicaid. It also projects that the AHCA will leave 51 million people under age 65 without health insurance by 2026, which is 23 million more uninsured individuals than under the current law. Taken together, those facts spell disaster for Ohio.
Moreover, the AHCA would keep the Obamacare reductions in payments to community hospitals, in spite of the fact that those facilities would end up treating many, many more people without insurance. Access is already a critical issue in rural areas where there is a growing shortage of physicians and where patients often must travel long distances to receive care. We can’t undermine our hospitals further by denying them the appropriate resources they need to be effective.
That’s why Senator Portman has committed to rewriting the AHCA or crafting a new bill with his Senate colleagues rather than simply go along with the House Republicans’ plan. He should be applauded by all fair-minded citizens for this approach.
Rob Radway, Belle Center
