Ohio Democratic Party Issues Statement on Mary Taylor’s Plan to End Medicaid Expansion

COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 18 -- The Ohio Democratic Party issued the following statement by Chairman David Pepper in response to Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor's announcement that she would end Medicaid expansion and force more than 700,000 Ohioans off their health coverage:

"Mary Taylor's plan to end Medicaid expansion -- which helps more than 700,000 Ohioans, many of whom are low-income workers -- is misguided and cruel. Ohio's uninsured rate is the lowest it's ever been, falling from just over 12 percent in 2010 to less than 6 percent in 2016, in large part because of Medicaid expansion.

"More than 150,000 Ohioans who struggle with mental health or addiction issues have coverage through the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion. Throwing hundreds of thousands of Ohioans off their health care would be like throwing gasoline on the raging fire that is our state's opioid epidemic.

"Mary Taylor is clearly trying to pander to Donald Trump -- but her policies would have a disastrous impact on everyday Ohioans."