For years, The Center for Community Solutions has written about Ohio’s managed care program, with pieces outlining federal standards, current performance and value-based contracting. And, when Ohio Medicaid announced they were rebidding the contracts, we paid close attention, monitoring the feedback process, providing written comment and reviewing, in detail, the hundreds of pages worth of...
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Ohio Senate-passed budget derails managed competition in Medicaid, ties red tape around low-income working families
The budget passed by the Ohio Senate last week includes provisions that would have a major impact on several key programs that support low-income working families and children. As the budget moves into conference committee, where a few members from each chamber hash out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the budget,...
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Public transit funding, cut in initial DeWine proposal, restored by General Assembly
The State of Ohio’s transportation budget for fiscal years 2022 and 2023 is now complete. Transportation is a vital part of the social determinants of health, as it plays a critical role in access to jobs, health care, and allows for independent living and mobility. As the state ages, transportation will become an increasingly important...
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Governor’s proposed budget includes restoring Ohio Department of Aging funding, but few new programs
By: Natasha Takyi-Micah, Public Policy and External Affairs Associate William Tarter, Public Policy and External Affairs Associate Testimony recap State budget season is underway and the Ohio Department of Aging (ODA) is one of the many agencies that testified before the Ohio House Finance Committee and the Finance Subcommittee on Health and Human Services within the last few weeks. One of the line-items the Department of Aging is seeking is an increase...
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Maternal and infant health remains top priority in state budget
By: Hope Lane, Public Policy & External Affairs Associate Natasha Takyi-Micah, Public Policy & External Affairs Associate For the past several years, Community Solutions has been committed to examining and improving maternal and infant health for families in our state. By analyzing disaggregated maternal mortality data, infant mortality reports and other critical statistics such as birth records,...
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Budget priority: Improving safety-net services
By: Loren Anthes, Chair of Health Planning Tara Britton, Director of Public Policy Hope A. Lane, Public Policy Associate Ensure that safety-net services are as responsive as possible to the needs of Ohio families – something that is essential in the midst of the current public health and economic crises. This would include supporting policies...
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Engaging in the state budget process in a virtual world
This last year is unlike anything most of us have ever experienced. We have adapted our activities in so many ways, and how we now engage in legislative advocacy is no different. Thankfully, there are virtual tools and electronic communication that make this a smoother process. These are a few tips we’ve picked up along...
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State budget committee process
There is often fanfare when the governor introduces the executive budget, but it is the legislative body that ultimately determines what policy becomes law. And while we’ve written about how Ohio’s biennial budget process works, a deeper dive into committees’ role may help advocates and analysts understand how that policy is deliberated and formed. By...
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Effective and efficient testimony 101
Whether the biennial state budget is being heard in a finance committee or legislators are debating what Ohio’s state cookie should be, speaking at (or testifying) a public hearing is one of the most effective ways to engage with lawmakers who depend on constituent and advocate input for policy decision making. While the COVID-19 pandemic...
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Governor DeWine introduces 2022-23 executive budget
Governor Mike DeWine introduced the second state budget of his term on February 1. DeWine highlighted the ways his administration’s proposal to utilize one-time federal dollars to buoy the economy and support infrastructure will help the state navigate its way out of the pandemic and resulting economic crisis. The budget includes continued support for many...