Obamacare supporters in Ohio begin petition drive to expand Medicaid

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Obamacare supporters in Ohio begin petition drive to expand Medicaid

By Mary Wisniewski
Thu Sep 19, 2013 6:24pm EDT

(Reuters) - An Ohio panel on Thursday approved a petition designed to pressure the Republican-led state legislature to expand the Medicaid health program for the poor as part of President Barack Obama's health reform law.

The aim is to allow about 275,000 additional Ohio residents to be eligible for Medicaid under the new reform law, a proposal supported by Republican Governor John Kasich but not yet acted on by state lawmakers.

The Ohio Ballot Board, which considers proposed ballot initiatives, gave the go ahead for the group called "Healthy Ohioans Work" to start gathering about 116,000 signatures needed to get lawmakers to consider the issue.

If the coalition of businesses, health care providers, consumer advocates and labor unions gets the signatures, the proposal goes before the legislature. If lawmakers do not approve or take no action after four months, supporters can circulate another petition to get the issue before voters on the November 2014 ballot.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/19/us-usa-healthcare-ohio-idUSBRE98I16B20130919

[Koko Ware]

1. Threaten Kasich with a terrorist designation, then he'll fold. Easily.

It's time to put the Republicans on the spot by calling what they really are - terrorists.

[phleshdef]

2. Kasich is FOR the expansion. Its the Ohio legislature that is the hold up.

[Koko Ware]

3. Still, they are terrorists.

And they know it.

Kasich knows it. The Republican led Ohio legislature knows it. It's time to round 'em up.