If you live in Ohio Act Now! Medicaid services are being proposed to be cut! Please read!!

[1776Forever]

An article in the June 17th Columbus Dispatch suggests that Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and leaders in Ohio House of Representatives have discussed fixing Ohio’s $3.2 million budget shortfall by:

* Cutting dental, vision and other Medicaid services for those most in need; and
* Cutting the Passport program, which allows people to stay in their home and avoid the nursing home setting.

This is unacceptable!

Call your statehouse leaders and conferees in the Senate and House and tell them:

* You are AGAINST cuts to Medicaid services that are desperately needed for the health, safety and basic needs of Ohioans;

* You SUPPORT cuts that will ultimately keep Ohioans with disabilities in their homes and the continuation of Ohio’s long term care rebalancing efforts; and

* You support proposed insurance reforms included in the budget passed by the Ohio House of Representatives such as a fix to Ohio’s open enrollment program, which was designed to make coverage available for people who were denied coverage due to preexisting conditions like multiple sclerosis, diabetes, high blood pressure or cancer in remission.

Call these leaders today and everyday, until they make the critical decisions needed to balance the state budget and maintain services to Ohioans most in need.

Conference Committee Representatives from the House

Rep. Vernon Sykes (D. Akron)
Phone: [phone]

Rep. Jay Goyal (D Mansfield)
Phone: [phone]

Rep. Ron Amstutz (R Wooster)
Phone: [phone]

Conference Committee Representatives from the Senate

Senator John Carey (R. Wellston)
Telephone: [phone]

Senator Mark Wagoner (R. Toledo)
Telephone: [phone]

Senator Dale Miller (D. Cleveland)
Telephone: [phone]

House Leadership

Speaker Armond Budish
Phone: [phone]

Senate Leadership

President Bill Harris
Telephone: [phone]

Finally, the Governor, who holds ultimate veto power, plays a critical role. Messages to the Governor should go to

Governor Ted Strickland
Phone: [phone]

...............

I thank you for anyone that follows through on this! I know the suffering that these patients go through everyday and to make it worse on them would be an unthinkable disgrace!

[samplegirl]

1. Thanks

Will follow through with this in the morning. Passport was a Godsend when my mother was alive.

[samplegirl]

2. Maybe he should of been keeping an eye on

his state workers. Strickland is not helping Ohio.

COLUMBUS (AP) — State workers traveled abroad and stayed at expensive resorts last year despite an executive order by Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland banning nonessential trips, a newspaper reported Sunday.

An investigation by The Columbus Dispatch showed state workers traveled across the U.S. and overseas for an array of conferences, association meetings and other purposes. The newspaper reviewed records from 10 state cabinet agencies with the highest travel expenses.

Workers took trips to Germany, Belgium and other countries. Destinations in the U.S. included San Francisco, Santa Monica, Calif., Portland, Ore., New York City, Washington, D.C. and Orlando, Fla.

[dsc]

3. the loss of passport would be devastating

My mom would have gone to a nursing home years sooner if not for passport. She lasted less than 3 months once she went to a nursing home.

[Jakes Progress]

4. Same for my mother in law.

It looks like government euthanasia for the non rich.

At the center where I volunteer today, health care and medicaid cuts were a topic at lunch. I can't say how many I heard voice the opinion that voting makes no difference, that the Democrats get elected and then do the same as the republicans.

[doc03]

5. Same here Passport has been a savior for

me and my mother. Before my mother qualified for Passport I had to shell out a couple hundred dollars or more every month for her medical bills. She has been in the nursing home 3 times for three weeks and with some theopy was able to move back on her own in her apartment. The program has a lady come to her place 5 days a week to do housework or whatever help she needs.

[1776Forever]

6. Unless a loved one or friend or personal experience people overlook this - such a shame!

Thank you for posting!

:pals: