| 3,371 people were housed in emergency facilities when they found themselves without a home. |
| 7,132 area youth showed an increased knowledge of healthy behaviors such as avoiding drugs, alcohol and early sexual activity. |
| 11,037 people received crisis counseling in times of need. |
"Be the change you want to see in the world."
-Mahatma Gandhi
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1.3 Million Ohioans
(1 out of 8) are uninsured, while many others are underinsured or one
pink slip or premium increase away from losing health insurance
coverage. These uninsured include children, young adults, and working
families without affordable coverage. Employer based coverage is
eroding; offer rates are falling, and acceptance rate is also declining
(98% of large employers offer employer based health care plans; only
59% of small businesses offer such plans). It is important that
advocacy efforts promote equitable and just distribution of funds to
protect and help the uninsured and underinsured.
Issue: State Funding
Governor
Strickland has presented an Executive Budget for the FY 2010-11
biennium budget to maintain the State Children’s Health Insurance
Program (SCHIP) eligibility threshold up to 300% of the poverty level,
allowing for a family of four making $62,100 (local median income) per
year to receive healthcare benefits. The Governor’s Executive
Budget
also supports a supplemental payment program for the six
children’s
hospitals and the preservation of the Hospital Care Assurance Program
for disproportionate share hospitals. Access is also a concern
for families with children enrolled in the SCHIP program as many
private practices do not accept Medicaid or accept a limited number of
Medicaid patients. [The program expands coverage to middle-class
families who are struggling to make ends meet and affords nearly every
child access to healthcare. Parents’ eligibility is at 90%
of the
poverty level in the House Bill; it was proposed at 150% in the
Governor’s State of State Address. The House Budget also
includes
$30 million in the Medicaid Payment Program to support the 6 Ohio
Children’s Hospitals.]
Governor Strickland signed
the Biennium Budget with SCHIP eligibility at 300% of the poverty
level. This budget also included a 3% increase in Medicaid
reimbursement for providers and kept included the Ohio Children’s
Hospitals’ amendment to provide additional support to
children’s
hospitals.
Issue: Federal
Funding
President
Obama signed a four-year SCHIP Reauthorization bill into law on
February 4, providing $32.8 billion extra for the program over the next
four and a half years, an amount estimated to allow coverage of an
additional 4.1 million children nationwide. This will support
Ohio’s plan to cover families making up to 300% of the poverty
level. As a result, more Ohio children will be eligible for
health coverage, more providers and communities will have access to
incentives for successful outreach and enrollment programs. The
program extension costs will be funded by boosting the cigarette tax to
62 cents per pack. The Stimulus Plan passed in late March 2009
will provide support for the many workers who lose their health
insurance when they lose their jobs. Those who worked for medium
to large employers can continue their health insurance coverage through
COBRA for up to 18 months. Under the stimulus package, the
federal government will pick up 65% of the total cost of the premiums
for the first nine months of unemployment. Persons are eligible if they
lost their jobs between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2008.
Those who had not elected to use COBRA benefits will have 60 days to
sign up.
Issue: Local Efforts
Efforts are being made to enroll eligible children into the SCHIP
Program through Ohio Benefits Bank sites.
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CON |
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° Ohio ranks 47th in healthcare spending;
its $127 per capita is half what PA spends.
° Only 18% of the Ohio Medicaid budget is spent on children.
°
Ohio ranks 5th worst for smoking, 8th worst for cancer deaths, and 10th
worst for obesity. 10% of Ohioans are diabetic, higher than the
national average. Strategies to achieve healthy behaviors must begin
early in life.
° Bi-partisan support in the Ohio House and Senate
°
Ohio’s child uninsured rate is 4%, Montgomery County has the
highest
urban uninsured rate at 6.1%, Preble County has the highest uninsured
rate for children in the state at 12.4%
° Ohio’s adult
uninsured rate increased from 15% in 2004 to 17% in 2008.
Ohio’s
18-24 year olds have the highest uninsured rate at 29.4%.
°
Fewer adults (62%) and children (53%) in Ohio got insurance coverage
through their employer in 2008. This was due to fewer persons
being employed, less employers offering plans, more stringent employee
eligibility requirements, and employees electing not to take coverage
because they could not afford their portion of premiums.
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Other priorities weighing in: education, prison system. Tax base
is eroding as manufacturing continues to leave the state.
°
Nursing Home care spending is 10.5% of all healthcare spending in Ohio;
more than in 46 other states. Strong lobbying makes reversing
this trend difficult.
° Federal re-authorization bill for
SCHIP has had Medicare cuts included which has received opposition from
seniors.
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Position:
Therefore,
United Way of the Greater Dayton Area will support efforts to improve
the health status of all Ohioans and to expand health care coverage
issues such as improved access to health care resources, services, and
programs for individuals and families who uninsured or are
underinsured.
Action:
Therefore, United Way of the Greater Dayton Area will support
efforts that would inform and encourage elected officials, policy
makers and the general public about the challenges and best practices
available in healthcare.
Adopted
by United Way of the Greater Dayton Area Board of Directors - 2008.
Revised March 2009.
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