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DON’T BELIEVE #MEDICAIDMYTHS

There’s a lot of misinformation about what Medicaid can do — and it can do a lot.

Thanks to Medicaid, 3 million Ohioans receive needed medical care, supports and services. Because so many people in our communities – and often our loved ones – benefit from Medicaid services, we believe it’s crucial to rally together in support of these essential programs.

Disability Rights Ohio’s #MedicaidMyths campaign educates the public about the wide reach of critical Medicaid programs, dispels the misinformation, and highlights the undeniable harm Medicaid cuts will inflict on millions of Ohioans and their families.

MEDICAID IN OHIO

OVERALL

3 million people received Medicaid services in 2016

75,962 people are served on Medicaid waivers, which allow people to live in the community instead of in nursing and other care facilities. This number includes

• 37,870 elderly Ohioans
• 38,092 Ohioans with disabilities

EXPANSION

702,000 people are receiving care thanks to Medicaid expansion

• 31.9% of those individuals have been diagnosed with a mental illness

IN SCHOOL

61,000 students receive Medicaid services at school

IN-HOME SUPPORT SERVICES

Myth: “My son has a developmental disability. We have some support staff who come to our house, which I really appreciate. That comes from my county board of developmental disabilities, though, so I don’t have to worry about Medicaid.”

Fact: The largest share of funds for these services comes from federal Medicaid dollars. While local county boards administer the services, any cuts to Medicaid could lead to reduction or elimination of these services, leaving Ohio families without inhome supportive care for their loved ones.

NURSING HOME CARE

Myth: “We moved my mom into a nursing home a few months ago. I’ve heard that Congress isn’t planning to touch Medicare, so we’re safe. Cuts to Medicaid won’t affect us.”

Fact: Cuts to Medicaid will affect you. Medicare only supports rehabilitation in a nursing home for a limited time, from a few days to a few months. Beyond that, Medicaid is the program that pays for nursing home care. In fact, 25% of total Medicaid spending goes towards long-term care services and supports, including nursing facilities and home and community-based waivers, like PASSPORT. With cuts to Medicaid, many seniors and their families would find themselves unable to afford nursing home care.

MEDICAID SERVICES IN SCHOOLS

Myth: “My daughter gets occupational therapy and physical therapy at school, but that is just part of school services to help her get through the day. It doesn’t have anything to do with Medicaid.”

Fact: In many school districts, occupational and physical therapy are provided to Medicaid-eligible students through the Ohio Medicaid Schools Program, with the state contributing matching funds. In Ohio, the total Medicaid budget going to schools is $81 million, with federal Medicaid dollars contributing $51 million — nearly two-thirds of the total funding for Medicaid in schools. If there were cuts to Medicaid, more responsibility to pay for these required services would shift to the schools, necessitating additional school levies or cuts in other programs.

ADDICTION TREATMENT SERVICES

Myth: “The opioid crisis worries me a lot. Ohio often leads the nation in the number of overdose deaths. We need to do more to get people into treatment. Those programs are funded by the state and the county mental health boards, not Medicaid, right?”

Fact: Medicaid covers substance abuse treatment. In Ohio, nearly one-third of people covered under Medicaid expansion are using their benefits to get help for an addiction. Before Ohio expanded Medicaid, low-income individuals did not have access to these life-saving treatments, or to the housing and employment services also available under Medicaid. If Medicaid were cut, people struggling with addiction would again lack treatment options — and Ohio would lose more of its citizens to opioid abuse.