Both of Ohio’s US Senators were very concerned about what would happen to the 700,000 Ohioans now on Medicaid through the Affordable Care Act if the ACA was repealed. Now that the House has released its plan, one is completely opposed, but the other isn’t totally sold on it either.
GOP Sen. Rob Portman had written a letter with three other Republican Senators outlining concerns about Medicaid expansion in the repeal. He now says he’s pleased that the new House bill allows most of those Ohioans to stay on Medicaid until 2020. “I wanted to be sure that those people who are on expanded Medicaid in Ohio were not left behind, that they were able to continue to have access to coverage, and that particular issue has been addressed," Portman said in a call with reporters. "But there are many other issues.”
But Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown blasted the bill, which he said is a huge tax break to drug and insurance companies that will raise prices, kick people off and threaten hospital jobs.
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