Getting No Medicaid from Republicans
Let's walk through what the "Big Beautiful Bill" Act is going to inflict upon Ohio's Medicaid recipients in the coming months/years.
It’s official folks - the disastrous “Big Beautiful Bill Act” - or BBB - plopped won unceremoniously onto Trump’s desk and was signed into law.
It’s time to let out a collective aggravated, exhausted sigh - take in a deep breath - and dive into just how this is going to affect Ohioans right off the bat.
The BBB immediately cuts Medicaid funding by $1 trillion which means an estimated 3 million Ohioans are going to be affected - and that’s being modest. These cuts are arriving on the heels of Governor Mike DeWine’s approved two-year budget plan - which includes this lovely caveat:
“ The budget would automatically end Medicaid expansion coverage if the federal match falls below 90%, something DeWine and GOP lawmakers all support - 3 million of the most vulnerable Ohioans losing their healthcare as part of the $1 trillion cut.
But that wasn’t enough due to the BBB not dipping below that margin, so those red-blooded republicans added stringent work requirements for individuals below 65 starting in 2027. It may be two years off but let’s remember, they want these provisions pushed out past the midterms so voters memory-hole this entire debacle after seeing their benefits are “unchanged”.
An example of these requirements would be for anyone below 65 proving they did “meaningful work” in the eyes of the state by providing evidence of doing so for at least 80 hours a month.
Medicaid is meant for those who may be too young, injured or incapacitated to properly work or care for themselves. This is merely meant to steal from the poor to enrich those on top. The savings don’t “kick in” if folks are cut off -these funds only leave the coffers of the government when payment is due to a hospital. It’s not Reagan’s very dated and very racist “welfare queens” pitch where poor or underprivileged communities were simply “riding off the government’s dime.”
And of course this affects enrollment with the Ohio Department of Medicaid interjecting that up to 62,000 people would lose converge with these more stringent guidelines - while the Center for Community Solutions found:
“Unless they qualify for an exemption, up to 450,000 Ohioans could be at risk of losing health coverage if Ohio’s proposed Medicaid work requirement waiver goes into effect.” - Center for Community Solutions
Another interesting wrinkle here is the blase approach Ohio lawmakers have for the elderly - while more children are signed up to save healthcare costs for working families - the Pew Research Center found that 48.6% of enrollees have combined household incomes of $50,000 - there aren’t nearly as many benefits given to those caretaking for those past retirement age.
Now comes the paperwork side of things - it’s never fun I know - but this is where that “banality of evil” kicks in.
Here’s a quick snapshot on what Ohio lawmakers are doing to make those affected lives easier:
Shift from yearly to 6 month check in on eligibility for the program
Higher copays now - going up to $35 for certain medical needs
Increased paperwork to seek coverage from Medicaid and/or the Affordable Care Act
Ending of Automatic re-enrollment for the Affordable Care Act
Shortened the Window for applying to the Affordable Care Act by one month
These are purposefully being used to cut out those in more rural areas or who are most in need and may not have easy access to a computer or the means to drive themselves to a space to figure this mess out.
Now here’s the catch - senate republicans did expand the rural hospital budget by $50 billion - you know, instead of reinvesting that into an already expansive program that fed them the majority of their income/coverage. This is a bandage that will wash off the second a flood of now uncovered, uninsured people rush in for treatment. And that’s only accounting for rural hospitals that STAY open - we’ve already seen reports of 11 such spaces in Ohio alone at risk after the BBB’s passing.
Per a letter sent by democratic senators:
The 11 Ohio hospitals listed as at-risk under Trump’s spending bill according to the senators letter:
Southern Ohio Medical Center in Portsmouth (Scioto County).
Wayne Hospital Company in Greenville (Darke County).
East Liverpool City Hospital in East Liverpool (Columbiana County).
Coshocton Regional Medical Center in Coshocton (Coshocton County).
Twin City Medical Center in Dennison (Tuscarawas County).
Harrison Community Hospital in Cadiz (Harrison County).
Bucyrus Community Hospital in Bucyrus (Crawford County).
Holzer Medical Center in Jackson (Jackson County).
Galion Community Hospital in Galion (Crawford, Morrow, and Richland counties).
Adams County Regional Medical Center in Seaman (Adams County).
Fayette County Memorial Hospital in Washington Court House (Fayette County).
The letter said hospitals were “at risk of financial distress and even closure, conversion, or service reductions because of the cuts.” - News 5 Cleveland
All of this means higher premiums for us all, an unconscionable removal of those most in need of medical coverage - and putting those with substance abuse at a substantial risk of relapse or death due to changing “exemptions” laid out for them.
This isn’t normal, this is hideous and this needs changing.
The federal midterms and Ohio gubernatorial elections are happening next year, let’s keep these kleptocrats' feet to the fire as we continue to build our coalition.
Our Sources:
Medicaid Cuts in Ohio: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/politics/2025/07/10/what-trumps-big-beautiful-bill-means-for-ohio-medicaid-patients/84459012007/
Medicaid Recipient Data: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/06/24/what-the-data-says-about-medicaid/
Ohio Two Year Budget Medicaid Updates: https://www.healthpolicyohio.org/health-policy-news/2025/06/27/ohio-budget-goes-to-dewine-for-final-approval-medicaid-trigger-language-still-included
Rural Hospitals at Risk in Ohio: https://www.news5cleveland.com/news/state/11-rural-ohio-hospitals-listed-at-risk-under-trumps-spending-bill-according-to-democratic-senators
Ohio Medicaid Work Requirements Changes: https://www.communitysolutions.com/resources/ohio-medicaid-work-requirement-lose-healthcare-coverage