Federal cuts and the Ohio House threaten special education services Schools depend on Medicaid funding to support in-school health services for Medicaid-enrolled students with disabilities. The Ohio Medicaid School Program (MSP) helps ensure schools can provide students with services required by their Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), including speech therapy, physical
Chair Romanchuk, Vice Chair Huffman, and Ranking Member Liston, my name is Kathryn Poe, and I am the Health and Budget Researcher at Policy Matters Ohio. Policy Matters Ohio is an independent nonprofit think tank focused on the economic security of Ohioans from all walks of life. Today we are
Since January, the federal government has slashed funding in Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies as part of a sustained attack on the nation’s public health, mental health, and biomedical research infrastructure. As a state with top-tier hospitals, research universities, Ph.D. programs, and state agencies with high levels of federal
“Ohio’s childcare crisis” was originally published in March 2024. The 2025 version updates data but is otherwise unchanged, except where additions are highlighted. Childcare should be a top priority for Ohio policymakers. A recent poll[1] found that for Gen-Z workers, childcare benefits are ranked more important than even health insurance
Policy Matters Ohio supports the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s proposal for an 1115 waiver for continuous coverage of kids ages 0-3 to support the next generation of Ohio’s economic development. Last year, all states had to provide 12 months of continuous coverage to children in Medicaid as required by the
No matter how they’re designed, funding cuts hurt Ohioans Medicaid covers more than 3.2 million Ohioans, including more than 1.3 million children, and accounts for over 4% of Ohio’s economy.[1] In Ohio’s small towns and rural areas, 29.5% of children are covered by Medicaid or CHIP (the Children’s Health Insurance
Testimony to the House Medicaid Committee on H.B. 96 Chair Gross, Vice Chair Barhorst, and Ranking Member Baker, my name is Kathryn Poe, and I am the Health and Budget Researcher at Policy Matters Ohio. Policy Matters Ohio is an independent nonprofit think tank focused on the economic security of
In 2023, over two million Ohioans voted to legalize marijuana[1] sales and to use tax revenue from those sales to benefit communities where dispensaries are located (called “host communities”), fund substance-abuse research, and create restorative justice programs to remediate some of the harm done by the war on drugs. Gov.
My name is Kathryn Poe, and I am the Health and Budget Researcher at Policy Matters Ohio. Policy Matters Ohio is an independent nonprofit think tank focused on the economic security of Ohioans from all walks of life. Today we are here to express our significant concerns about the work
Update: The Department of Medicaid extended the time for public comments on the new requirements until January 21st at 5pm. This article has been updated to reflect this change. The state of Ohio recently submitted a proposal to require people between the ages of 19 and 55 to prove they are employed in order to
How money flows through the state budget One important part of budget advocacy is knowing how funds move through the budget: Where they come from and what they pay for. Budget research Kathryn Poe charts the ins and outs with this series of videos. Each comes with a link to
How to submit testimony in support of the Ohio Medical Debt Fairness Act
The Ohio House is currently accepting testimony on House Bill 257, the Ohio Medical Debt Fairness Act. This bill would do three key things: These are popular, common-sense policies that will protect Ohioans. H.B. 257 is a bipartisan bill modeled after others passed in states like Virginia and New Hampshire.