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‘Incoming health care changes mean more overall struggles for Ohioans, advocates say’

Columbus, Ohio — Jon Husted voted for the ninth time last week against extending the ACA premium tax credits. Now, more than half a million Ohioans are bracing for skyrocketing health care costs as the tax credits expire at the end of the month.

Husted also cast the deciding vote for the largest cut to Medicaid in history, ripping coverage from 490,000 Ohioans and putting at least eleven rural Ohio hospitals on the brink of closure.

Read more about Jon Husted’s health care crisis:

Ohio Capital Journal: Incoming health care changes mean more overall struggles for Ohioans, advocates say

• Health care advocates and researchers say the new year will be a challenging one for Ohioans with federal changes to health care coming with surety but uncertainty.

• Federal cuts to Medicaid mean Ohio is expected to lose $33 billion over the next decade, something Gov. Mike DeWine acknowledged will be an issue going forward.

• Health care workers and advocates are also bracing for change amid a deadlock in the U.S. Senate on proposals surrounding the Affordable Care Act. The lack of action makes it more than likely that the enhanced tax credits that are currently a part of the Affordable Care Act will expire in 2026.

• According to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio, increased Affordable Care Act premiums stemming from the expiring tax credits could mean annual premiums will more than double in 2026, compared to 2025 rates.

• Increased premiums also include rate increases from insurers, according to O’Rourke.

• So, with Medicaid cuts already set to impact Ohioans, and upcoming changes stemming from the federal budget reconciliation bill passed in July, Ohioans may have to make some tough calls when it comes to affording health care and anything else their households need.

• Families will face complicated decisions between medication, health care, transportation, food, and other things they need, not just one thing at a time, something advocates say policymakers need to keep in mind as they mull funding decisions.

• “Very quickly we have seen … (news of the changes lead) to panic attacks, very high anxiety,” said Summer Kirby, chief executive officer of Portsmouth’s Compass Community Health.

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Columbus, Ohio — Jon Husted once again proved he prioritizes the ultra-wealthy over working Ohioans when he complained about people saying “rich people [are] selfish” as he attempted to justify his record of blocking ACA tax credit extensions and delivering tax breaks to the rich.

This comes after: 

• Husted claimed the affordability crisis only exists in “blue states,” dismissing the pain Ohio families are feeling every day.

• Husted revealed he has no solutions to actually lower prices, suggesting that struggling Ohioans should just “earn more” to make ends meet.

• Husted voted for the ninth time against lowering health care costs, sending premiums soaring for more than half a million Ohioans.

WATCH HERE:

Transcript: 

Jon Husted: “People talk about rich people being selfish… No – I’ve not talked to any person that’s of means who said that they wouldn’t be willing to pay higher taxes if they knew it would be to balance the budget and eliminate the debt or buy down the debt, but what they don’t trust is that they’re going to get you’re going to get taxed more, and then it’s just going to be used to spend more, and it’s not going to solve the problem.”

Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement: 

“Jon Husted spent last week voting against lower health care costs and lecturing Ohioans to just make more money, and now he’s rushing to defend billionaires and his corporate donors. Ohio families deserve a Senator focused on making life more affordable for them — not someone obsessed with protecting his wealthy friends.”

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Columbus, Ohio — To mark Jon Husted officially filing for reelection today, here is a look back at his terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year since being appointed to the U.S. Senate.

Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement: 

“Jon Husted has spent his year in Washington cutting Ohioans’ health care, driving up their premiums, and making everything from groceries to energy bills more expensive. Ohioans are fed up with Jon Husted’s failed cost-spiking agenda — and they’ll send him packing next year.”

Read more about Jon Husted’s terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year:

Jon Husted voted for the largest cut to Medicaid in history, giving tax breaks to billionaires while leaving Ohioans behind:

• Because of Husted’s health care cuts, 490,000 Ohioans are set to lose their health care and eleven rural hospitals in Ohio are at risk of closure. 

• According to reports, at least two hospitals in Ohio are already at risk of closing and many others are “being forced to eliminate parts of the services they provide” in Southeast Ohio.

• Jon Husted called the cuts to health care “purposeful” and said he “loves doing that kind of stuff,” even as families, seniors, and rural communities across Ohio face losing life saving coverage.

To make matters worse, Jon Husted voted nine times against lowering insurance premiums as health care costs skyrocket for Ohio families: 

• More than half a million Ohioans will see their healthcare premiums get more expensive or risk losing coverage entirely if Jon Husted allows tax credits that help families afford coverage to expire at the end of the month.

• Ohio families could see their premiums increase by an average of $804 a year because Jon Husted is refusing to take action to extend the ACA tax credits.

• When asked how best to help working families afford health insurance, Jon Husted said the ACA tax credits were “not the way to go about it” and have done “nothing to drive down the cost of health care.”

Jon Husted doubled down on his support for the reckless tariffs that are crushing Ohio farmers and ranchers:

• Jon Husted has said that critics “are wrong” about the tariffs, they “haven’t affected the economy negatively,” and “the policies are working.” 

• Meanwhile, Husted has been silent as a $40 billion taxpayer-funded bailout goes to Argentina and the U.S. quadruples beef imports from the very country undercutting American farmers and ranchers.

• The Husted-backed tariffs are costing a Grove City manufacturer millions of dollars in business, potentially threatening hundreds of jobs. When the company reached out to Jon Husted, his only response was that he “passed along” the concern to the administration.

As families, small businesses, and Ohioans across the state struggle with rising costs, Jon Husted is nowhere to be found:

• Because of the Husted-backed tariffs sending costs soaring, some small businesses in Northeast Ohio may need to close. 

• Ohioans are furious as electricity bills have doubled during Jon Husted’s year in office. They are expected to increase even further next year.

• Meanwhile, Jon Husted claimed that the affordability crisis only exists in “blue states” and not in Ohio — ignoring the harsh reality for Ohioans that are paying more thanks to his own affordability crisis.

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