Medicaid restrictions among potential law changes from legislative
GOP veto showdown with governor
Over the summer, Gov. John Kasich approved the
state biennial budget bill, House Bill (HB) 49, during
an eleventh hour bill signing. However, he used his
executive power to veto nearly 50 items, including
House Republican leaders proposals to limit Medicaid
expansion.1
In an unusual move and what I
believe was a politically-charged
response, the Republican-
controlled legislature voted to
override 11 of the governors line-
item vetoes in the House chamber,
and six line-item vetoes in the
Senate chamber.
Under these overrides, future
Medicaid expansion will have a
funding capacity and Medicaid spending must be
approved by the Republican-controlled state
Controlling Board.
In order to pave a path toward success for our
workforce and middle class families, I believe we
HEAP helps with high energy costs
Home Energy Assistance Program gears up for Winter 2017-18
The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) is a pro-
gram designed to help eligible low-income Ohioans
meet the high costs of home heating. HEAP is a feder-
ally funded program administered by the Ohio Devel-
opment Services Agencys Office of Community Assis-
tance (OCA).
Households may be eligible for assistance from HEAP,
if the household income is at or below 175 percent of
the federal poverty guidelines. Households may be eli-
gible for assistance from PIPP Plus if the household
income is at or below 150 percent of the federal pov-
erty guidelines.
An application for consideration must be submitted to
the OCA office. Once your application is processed,
you will receive a notification letter telling you whether
or not you are eligible for bill payment assistance. If
you are eligible, the amount of your benefit will de-
pend on federal funding levels, how many people live
with you, total household income, and the primary fuel
you use to heat your home. In most cases, benefits
must ensure everyone has the tools they need to
succeed, which includes access to comprehensive
healthcare services without unnecessary out-of-
pocket fees and barriers. We need a healthy
workforce to help drive our economic engines our
local communities.
Roughly 1 in 4 Ohioans receive
their healthcare through Medicaid2,
and more than three million
Ohioans are low-income and
disabled.2 Unfortunately, I believe
these bureaucratic hurdles will
make it harder for those in need to
obtain vital healthcare services.
I hope the legislature can begin
working to ensure more people can
better access quality healthcare.
1
http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170706/kasich-says-
legislature-has-left-medicaid-14-billion-short
2
http://www.daytondailynews.com/business/hundreds-rally-
statehouse-support-kasich-veto-
medicaid/5S908hhMGvo1LbZfK9XXZI/
will be a credit applied to your energy bill by your utili-
ty company. This is a one-time benefit.
Please note that proof of income for the past 12
months and a copy of a recent fuel/utility bill must be
submitted with your completed and signed application.
For additional information, call HEAP toll-free at (800)
282-0880 during regular business hours (7:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m.) Monday through Friday. For the hearing-
impaired with a telecommunication device for the deaf
(TTD), call toll-free number (800) 686-1557.
Applications can be accessed online at: http://
development.ohio.gov/files/is/HEAPApp.pdf
Mail completed and signed applications to:
HEAP
P.O. Box 1240
Columbus, Ohio 43216