Posted by Behavioral Health Billing Solutions, LLC
Today we received an Urgent Advocacy request from the Northern Ohio Recovery Association (NORA) requesting assistance with the Ohio Biennial Budget Process. Please see their request below.
Dear Addiction, Mental Health, Community Partners and Statewide Colleagues,
I’m emailing to personally ask for your assistance on the Ohio Biennial Budget process.
The State Budget is heading to Governor Kasich for final approval, and he has the power to line-item veto provisions from the legislature affecting Medicaid Expansion.
Both the Senate and the House approved the budget that the Conference Committee submitted with a provision that freezes Medicaid Expansion on July 1, 2018. An amendment was included to exempt individuals with a mental illness or addiction from the freeze, but we still see this language as very troubling.
Your Advocacy Efforts are Needed NOW!
We’re asking you to reach out to Governor Kasich to request that he veto this provision. The Administration has expressed concerns with the proposed freeze and appears to be leaning toward a veto, so we want to continue to encourage the Governor’s veto authority to eliminate this provision. Time is of the essence on this so please:
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Call Governor Kasich’s office at (614 ) 466-3555.
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Send an email to Merle Madrid – the Governor’s Director of Legislative Affairs, at merle.madrid@governor.ohio.gov.
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Send an email to Tim Biggam, Director of Coalitions – tim.biggam@governor.ohio.gov.
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Send a message through the Governor’s web-portal at www.governor.ohio.gov/Contact/ContacttheGovernor.aspx.
… and use these talking points:
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My name is______, and I am calling/writing from (city and organization).I implore you to veto the Medicaid expansion freeze that is included in HB 49, the biennial budget. Individuals, families, and communities impacted by mental illness and addiction will be devastated if this freeze on enrollment is approved. Your actions to expand Medicaid have been the most significant example of serving individuals with a mental illness and addiction in recent history.
Medicaid expansion has been a tremendous benefit for individuals, families, and communities throughout Ohio who have been and continue to face an opiate crisis of epidemic proportions alongside an increasing number of people seeking mental health services.
Now is not the time to make sweeping changes to a Medicaid expansion program that is quite literally saving lives in Ohio.
Thank you for your leadership and your ongoing work to help Ohioans impacted by mental illness and addiction.
I ask that you continue highlighting the importance of bringing the needs of individuals with a mental illness or addiction out of the shadows by vetoing the proposed Medicaid expansion enrollment freeze. Thank you for all of your advocacy during this busy budget process!
Northern Ohio Recovery Association (NORA) Staff