Background

Ohio has one of the most restrictive income requirements for covering pregnant women and children through Medicaid, despite overwhelming evidence that preventative care provides long term benefits in both improved health and in cost savings. Ohio has no coverage plan for uninsured low income working parents, despite the states stated goal of supporting working people as they try to be "self sufficient."

Do you commit to supporting an expansion of Medicaid coverage for children? for pregnant mothers? for working parents?

What do you think are reasonable income guidelines? for children? for pregnant mothers? for working parents?

If you support Medicaid expansion, what specifically will you do to advocate for it?

C. J. PRENTISS, Democratic Candidate for State Senate, District 21 : "What I want and what is possible are two different things. I would like our state to rank up there with Connecticut. I believe we could get to 200%. Part of what I am doing to advocate for this is to work for the election. Part of what I am doing to advocate for this is to work for the election this November of Lee Fisher for Governor."

Dale MILLER, Democratic Candidate for State Representative, District 19 : "I will support Medicaid expansion in next year's budget."

Yvonne FULIMENI, Independent Candidate for State Representative, District 18 : "[I will] support legislation to deal with Medicaid coverage for children, working parents and pregnant women who need a safety net."

Lee FISHER, Democratic Candidate for Governor of Ohio : "I will propose the children's expansion to 200% as recommended by the Child Health Task Force and as permitted under federal law in the state's next biennial budget. I will propose a phase-in of the coverage for pregnant women, also. Expansion of Medicaid for working parents will be much more expensive and extremely dependent upon state budget constraints. I would be interested in exploring ways, other that through Medicaid expansion, to provide accessibility to health care for working parents."

Eric FINGERHUT, Democratic Candidate for State Senate, District 25 : "I support universal health insurance for Ohio workers and families. Developing a specific plan should come after implementation of the SCHIP program to 200% has been achieved."

Kate UHLIR, Republican Candidate for State Representative, District 11 : "This is too complicated to answer glibly! We should take care of children; complete immunization, then look at others."

Peter LAWSON JONES, Democratic Candidate for State Representative, District 11 : "I will continue to publicly voice my support for such an expansion, particularly during the upcoming biennial budget process, and will cosponsor legislation that raises the guidelines for Medicaid coverage eligibility."

Albert OBERST, Republican Candidate for State Representative, District 9 (Phone interview) : On Medicaid Expansion: Is interested in the issue of fraud. Stated that $250 million is being paid by State of Ohio to providers such as doctors, nurses, nursing homes. Plus state is paying $150 million in waste (paperwork). He totaled up $500 million paid out by the state that he says should be redirected to working people.
He would campaign to: go after defrauders, redirect money to people who need it, set up more clinics.

Background

• Every Day the number of uninsured children grows in the US by 3000.
• One in four workers has no access to employment based coverage at any cost.
• It is estimated that there are 250,000-400,000 uninsured children in Ohio.

The Clinton Administration's effort to reform our health care system did not result in meaningful change, in part due to organized resistance by the insurance industry and other powerful lobbies. We have been working under a "Managed Care" system for several years with little success to report. It seems that managed care, far from being a cost saver, may well cost more.

Where in your opinion, do we go from here? If Congress won't enact national health insurance, will you advocate for Ohio to enact universal health insurance on the state level?

C. J. PRENTISS, Democratic Candidate for State Senate, District 21 : "I was one of the early supporters of Universal Health Insurance. We supported a bill introduced in 1992 by then Representative Hagan. Clearly that bill did not go anywhere. I am not sure what can be done in a political climate that takes no prisoners. Taking no prisoners in my mind means that we will not feed, clothe, or house our most needy. Added to this list is health care."

Dale MILLER, Democratic Candidate for State Representative, District 19 : "Everyone should have access to health care, with the state or federal government serving as health care provider of last resort."

Yvonne FULIMENI, Independent Candidate for State Representative, District 18 : "We have to find a way to provide basic health care coverage for all of our citizens."

Lee FISHER, Democratic Candidate for Governor of Ohio : "I have laid out a Patients' Bill-of-Rights proposal to provide protections for all Ohioans under managed care and an Ohio Patient Protection Plan that will increase affordable, accessible health care for families."

Eric FINGERHUT, Democratic Candidate for State Senate, District 25 : "I support universal health insurance for Ohio workers and families."

Kate UHLIR, Republican Candidate for State Representative, District 11 : "Neighborhood clinics should inoculate and monitor pregnant women."

Albert OBERST, Republican Candidate for State Representative, District 9 : On Universal Coverage, he feels there should be health coverage for every person in state of Ohio.

Peter LAWSON JONES, Democratic Candidate for State Representative, District 11 : "I have been on record since 1990 as advocating universal health insurance. Given the present unfavorable political environment on both the state and federal level for the adoption of such a system, however, we must work incrementally ­ through expansion of Medicaid eligibility and by other means ­ to provide access to health care for those who are currently without it."

Background

Under a new law in March 1997, prisoners in Ohio began paying a co-payment for receiving health care. In the first 60 days after its implementation the number of people going to sick call every day dropped from 100 to 25 per institution. (Note: There over 48,000 people in Ohio prisons.) While there is some abuse of sick call by prisoners, this drastic reduction in the number of prisoners receiving care poses a public health concern. Prisoners may be locked behind bars, but there are thousands of prison employees who go to and from work every day in Ohio who can carry infectious diseases to the community. While the new law was not written to deny prisoners access to health care, the vagueness of the law has caused many prisoners in many institutions to over-pay and go undertreated. Though the Department of Corrections states that no one will be denied health care due to this policy, many prisoners are going into debt, becoming more dependent on their families or others to support them, and in many cases not seeking necessary care. And though the law was written to exclude mental health and chronic illnesses from the co-pay policy, the enforcement of the co-pay differs greatly from institution to institution as to how they define the above categories.

Do you support or oppose correctional medical co-pay in Ohio? What will you do to ensure that people who are incarcerated receive adequate medical treatment?

C. J. PRENTISS, Democratic Candidate for State Senate, District 21 : "My vote is on record opposing this bill. Unless we change the make-up of our general assembly and or embrace my belief of the definition of a public servant this will not change. Let me make it clear that this is not a party line issue and that some of my colleagues in the Democratic Party also support the belief that prisoners are less than human and have totally misused the system."

Dale MILLER, Democratic Candidate for State Representative, District 19 : "I will support repeal of correctional medical co-pay, and I have advocated for individual prisoners who had difficulty getting medical treatment."

Yvonne FULIMENI, Independent Candidate for State Representative, District 18 : "If the March 1997 law is not working properly we will have to revise it."

Lee FISHER, Democratic Candidate for Governor of Ohio : "I understand why the law was enacted and believe it needs to be given a fair chance to work. Now that the new law has been in place for over a year, the state should review how it has been implemented and what impact it has had on the health status of prisoners and prison employees. We also need to look at the uniformity of how the law is being enforced at each prison. Standards and practice should be consistent in each prison. Prisoners in real need of medical attention must receive proper care."

Peter LAWSON JONES, Democratic Candidate for State Representative, District 11 : Support. We must monitor the new prisoner co-pay system to ensure that it is achieving its stated goals without discouraging ailing inmates from seeking care.

Background

• One third of all AIDS cases are linked to injection drug use.
• For women, 64% of all AIDS cases are due to injection drug use or sex with partners who inject drugs.
• Injection drug use is the source of infection for more than half of all children born with HIV.
• Numerous studies have shown that syringe exchange programs do NOT encourage people either to increase their drug use of to use injection drugs.

Would you support the use of state money to fund syringe exchange programs, as a harm reduction-oriented HIV prevention method? Why or why not? Would you support legislation that would permit the legal operation of local syringe exchange programs in Ohio? Why or why not?

C. J. PRENTISS, Democratic Candidate for State Senate, District 21 : "The rise of HIV in the African American community is at staggering proportions. I would embrace any research proven program that prevents the spread of this virus."

Dale MILLER, Democratic Candidate for State Representative, District 19 : "Undecided. Local funding is probably available if the program is authorized."

Yvonne FULIMENI, Independent Candidate for State Representative, District 18 : "We must stop the spread of AIDS and if the syringe program works-it should be funded."

Lee FISHER, Democratic Candidate for Governor of Ohio : "This is a local health care decision that is best left to local health officials to determine."

Eric FINGERHUT, Democratic Candidate for State Senate, District 25 : "This must be coupled with increased accountability of substance abuse treatment. One without the other will not work."

Kate UHLIR, Republican Candidate for State Representative, District 11 : "Handing out free needles will not solve the HIV problem."

Albert OBERST, Republican Candidate for State Representative, District 9 (Phone interview) : He would oppose state money to fund syringe exchange programs. Thinks it is a private matter.

Peter LAWSON JONES, Democratic Candidate for State Representative, District 11 : "Support. Although I have a great distaste for government involvement in funding needle exchange programs for drug users, reality demands that we do what we must to combat AIDS. We must be willing to give local authorities the flexibility they need to implement effective programs that have been proven to slow the spread of the deadly AIDS virus."

Topic #2 : QUALITY

Topic #3 : PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY