Newspaper: Health law to boost Ohio Medicaid costs

COLUMBUS (AP) — The Obama health-care law will boost Medicaid costs for Ohio taxpayers by $1.45 billion over five years, according to a state analysis released to a newspaper.

The Columbus Dispatch reported today that the law’s expansion of the health-care program for the poor and disabled will add 554,000 people to Ohio’s Medicaid rolls starting in the 2014 fiscal year.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services projection of the state’s extra costs covers the period from 2014 to 2019.

Republicans say the additional price tag is more than Ohio will be able to afford.

But the administration of Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland says the state is getting a bargain because the federal government will cover another $16 billion in new Ohio Medicaid costs over six years.