Columbus, Ohio—Today marks the 61st anniversary of Medicaid and Medicare being signed into law. These programs help millions of Ohioans afford care; however, Vivek Ramaswamy has said he believes they were “mistakes.”
Medicaid and Medicare are the backbone of Ohio’s healthcare system. More than three million Ohioans enrolled in Medicaid and 2.5 million Ohioans on Medicare, and rural hospitals in particular rely heavily on Medicaid reimbursements to keep their doors open. A reduction in coverage would disproportionately affect rural hospitals and nursing homes, forcing Ohioans in rural communities to travel farther for routine appointments and emergency care.
“The real mistake here is Vivek Ramaswamy flippantly dismissing critical healthcare programs that keep costs down for Ohioans,” said Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Katie Seewer. “Ramaswamy’s policy scams would slash healthcare and raise costs for patients across the state, including children, seniors, and veterans. Ohio patients can’t afford Vivek Ramaswamy.”
READ MORE on the programs Vivek Ramaswamy called “mistakes”:
- 40% of all births in the United States are covered by Medicaid, and a reduction in coverage would create even more struggles for mothers and infants in Ohio, where the infant mortality rate is one of the worst in the country.
- 65,000 Ohio veterans rely on Medicaid for healthcare coverage.
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