Bill aims to control medicaid spending

By Marc Kovac

news@vindy.com

COLUMBUS

A new lawmaker panel would work with the state’s Medicaid office to better control increases in spending for medical services to the state’s needy residents, under legislation unveiled Thursday by Senate Republicans.

State Sen. Dave Burke of Marysville, R-26th, primary sponsor of the measure, said the proposed Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee would include members of the Ohio House and Senate, who would keep close tabs on the costs and results of Medicaid services. Absent from the reform package, however, is a long-debated expansion of eligibility for Medicaid, a plan backed by Gov. John Kasich but blocked by Republican lawmakers, some of whom see it as an endorsement of President Barack Obama’s signature health care law and out-of-control government spending.

Backers of the bill note that Medicaid spending is growing from about a third of the overall state budget in 2000 to a projected 49.3 percent by 2015. The program is expected to cost more than $17 billion for the current fiscal year; left on its current trajectory, it would reach more than $22.6 billion in 2020.

Burke’s bill calls for spending to be capped at 3 percent for a year, rather than the current 4 percent-plus, a move that would save $8.6 billion in state and federal funds over the next seven years.

Those spending guidelines would not be firm caps or mandates, Burke said, but voters could hold lawmakers and administrations accountable if they don’t control spending while improving health care for the needy.

“It sets a target that we openly say to the public, we are going to move spending in this direction, to be no more than,” he said. “And if we’re not able to achieve that, we’ll be publicly accountable as to why that didn’t occur.”

Thursday’s bill introduction was further evidence of GOP lawmakers’ firm stance against a Medicaid expansion, with no indications that either chamber is prepared to move separate legislation on that issue and fueling speculation of Controlling Board involvement.

The latter, which signs off on contracts and spending, includes four GOP lawmakers, two Democrats and Kasich’s appointed president.

Kasich could attempt to institute a Medicaid expansion via executive order but would need Controlling Board approval for spending authority.

Proponents of Medicaid expansion also have launched a petition effort to force the issue before lawmakers early next year and potentially onto the November 2014 ballot.