We Demand a Health Care System that Works
For all Ohioans to receive the very best care and see a doctor when they are sick, no exceptions.
No matter our race or place, Ohioans should get the care we need to live healthy, happy lives.
We need a working health care system that cares for all of us. But for decades now, certain politicians have been trying to put up numerous obstacles and barriers that prevent our families from getting the quality health care they need through Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act exchange program.
They want to take money away from important medical services that provide our parents with life-saving medications and treatment. Instead of making sure everyone who needs help gets it, large pharmaceutical corporations enrich themselves by charging sky-high prices for medications.
We can and must do better for our state. Together, we demand our leaders pass a budget that helps people get the healthcare they need, protects our coverage, and makes sure all Ohioans can be healthy, no matter our skin color or income level.
Racism as a public health crisis
Case Study: Ohio’s Infant Mortality Crisis
Every new mom and baby deserves quality healthcare, a trusting relationship with their doctor, and the full support of their community in order to thrive. But as of 2019, Black infants in Ohio were nearly 3 times more likely to die in their first year than white infants. Instead of providing affordable care so that new parents can take care of their kids, certain politicians instead want to strip us of control of our own bodies and take away our right to make the best healthcare decisions for our kids. We know our families deserve better. Our leaders must account for the experiences of women -- especially Black women -- in order to create a budget that truly cares for our future. Black, white, or brown, we’re pulling through together so that Ohio can be a state where all our families can thrive.
Most Ohioans believe that everyone should be able to live a full and healthy life, no matter what we look like or where we come from.
But selfish politicians are choosing to look away when Black, brown and Indigenous people are dying at higher rates of COVID-19 because they are more interested in padding their pockets with corporate donations than taking care of the people who are continuously forced to go without proper care and struggle the most to make ends meet.
There are not enough doctors of color to take care of our kids and families, discouraging many of our friends and neighbors from seeking medical treatment in a system that frequently discriminates against them. In the meantime, some public officials try to divide us by race and place, taking taxpayer dollars away from public schools and communities because they don’t want to take care of us.
Our health is priceless. We are long overdue to rewrite the rules that govern our lives, and it starts with making a state budget that takes care of all of us. We’re standing up to the powers that be to make sure we all get the care, dignity, and respect we deserve as Ohioans in this new budget cycle.
Policy Recommendations
Make sure pregnant people and children get the care they need by expanding Medicaid eligibility to include with those with incomes at or below 300% of the federal poverty level ($74,580 for a family of three), and by including doula and midwife services in Medicaid coverage.
Make sure children from birth to age 6 have the health care they need to thrive by providing continuous early childhood Medicaid coverage, regardless of parent income changes. This would allow children to have consistent pediatrician visits, vaccinations and specialty care.
Help pregnant people make informed decisions about their own medical care by redirecting state funds away from predatory “crisis pregnancy centers” and toward programs that give people the full range of medical options to prevent, end, or thrive during pregnancy.
Help people with addiction get treatment and stay out of jail by establishing drug courts in every county and expanding access to life-saving Medication Assisted Treatment.
Make sure people of all races can live healthy lives by fulfilling the promises Gov. DeWine made in the Minority Health Strike Force Blueprint. Start by funding data collection and analysis to measure progress on strike force recommendations.
Make sure Ohioans can maintain health coverage and access to health care as an estimated 220,000 Ohioans lose health coverage through Medicaid over the next two years. Help them access other health coverage through the federal marketplace.
