The proposed repeal of the Affordable Care Act could cost Ohio as much as $8.5 billion over the next eight years, according to a report out this morning from a statewide research group.
The Center for Community Solutions estimates that the ACA repeal could mean Ohio could lose as much as $26 billion federal dollars by 2025, and would have to pay up to $8.5 billion to maintain the state’s Medicaid program as it is. Researcher Loren Anthes said with more than three million recipients, Medicaid has a huge reach in Ohio. “It pays for 1 in 2 births in the state of Ohio. It pays for coverage for 1 in 4 Ohioans generally. And when you get into places like Vinton County, 40% of the total population is on the Medicaid program,” Anthes said.
And Anthes says because Ohio expanded Medicaid after the ACA went into effect, it could cost Ohio up to $2.1 billion to insure the 700,000 people who are covered under it.
