Medicaid Expansion Group Reaches Next Step in Initiated Statute Process

A Government Relations Bulletin

Healthy Ohioans Work, the group behind Ohio’s Medicaid expansion campaign, cleared an important hurdle last week when Ohio’s Attorney General Mike DeWine certified the group’s petition language for an initiated statute to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

The group had submitted its initiative petition, complete with 5,878 signatures, on September 4. It was certified by the Attorney General on Friday, September 13.

The proposal will enact the Access to Healthcare Act, which was created as part of Governor Kasich’s executive budget, but was not included in the final version of House Bill 59 passed by the House and Senate.

Healthy Ohioans Work must now continue its signature collection efforts to reach the 115,570 valid signatures required to put the proposal before the Ohio General Assembly. If the legislature does not act upon the proposal within four months, the group must then collect an additional 115,570 signatures to place the issue on the ballot, likely in November 2014.

Update: October 22, 2013: Controlling Board Authorizes an Expanded Ohio Medicaid Program.