Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage (OCHC)

Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage (OCHC) is a coalition uniting the consumer voice with the goal of achieving affordable, high-quality care for all.

OCHC combines the force and expertise of over 20 health care consumer organizations to bring the voice of consumers to legislators, administrators, and health care system stakeholders.
OCHC’s organizational membership is diverse and represents the healthy and the sick, the insured and uninsured, and those with resources and those with few resources.

OCHC Principles

Health care should be accessible to all.
Health care is accessible when health insurance is continuous and affordable to individuals and families.
Achieving accessible health care should be affordable and sustainable for society.
Health insurance should enhance health and well-being by promoting access to high-quality care that is effective, efficient, safe, timely, and patient-centered.
Health care should not be predictable by race, class, gender identity, geography, language, or other social factors.
Individual health outcomes are tied to countless systemic barriers that impact personal decision-making.

Goals and Strategies

OCHC has identified four advocacy priorities to improve health care for consumers:

Advocate to protect Medicaid enrollment and increase access to Medicaid services

Protect Medicaid coverage during the redetermination process following the end of the Public Health Emergency

Promote Medicaid coverage for services provided by school personnel beyond special education services

Defend continued Medicaid coverage without additional barriers in general, and work requirements in particular

Support Medicaid advocacy efforts

To include doula services as a Medicaid-covered benefit

To increase Medicaid reimbursement rates for providers, especially for home health and other low-paid providers

To increase access to Medicaid waivers for Home and Community based
services

Advocate to end racialized healthcare outcomes and the provision of racialized healthcare

Support and advance community-led policy change in jurisdictions that have declared racism a public health crisis

Advocate for the sustained public health response to high levels of lead poisoning

Educate consumers and policymakers on the need for policies that eliminate racialized health outcomes and encourage equity-driven targeted interventions to alleviate health disparities

Collaborate with Ohio healthcare providers to identify and eliminate policies and practices that negatively impact people of color

Advocate for policies that protect consumers from the high cost of healthcare

Support and advance policies that alleviate the burden of crushing medical debt

Support organizations engaged in effort to increase affordability of medications

Support organizations advocating for parity in mental health and substance use
treatment

Identify and support the work of organizations advancing equity in specific advocacy areas

Provide older Ohioans with their preferred method of care at their ideal location

Advocate for long-term care standards that protect residents from inadequate care

Support organizations promoting ballot initiatives that increase voter participation and efficacy

Monitor the incursion of private equity into the provision of healthcare services

Leadership Team

OCHC Co-Chair: Marie Curry, Community Legal Aid Services

OCHC Co-Chair: Darold Johnson, Ohio Federation of Teachers

Advocates for Ohio’s Future: Kelsey Bergfeld, Sarah Hudacek

Center for Closing the Health Gap: Renee Mahaffey Harris

Children’s Defense Fund: Kelly Vyzral, Tracy Najera

Equitas Health: Dominique Shepherd

Faith in Public Life: Dan Clark

Jobs With Justice – Toledo: Bob Lynn

National MS Society: Holly Pendell

Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition: Zachery Williams

Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans: Norm Wernet

Ohio Asian American Health Coalition: Manju Sankarappa

Ohio Association of Community Health Centers: Teresa Rios-Bishop

Ohio Citizen Advocates for Addiction Recovery: Molly O’Neill, Sarah Thompson

Ohio Poverty Law Center: Danielle DeLeon Spires

Ohio Public Health Association: Cheryl Davis

Policy Matters Ohio: Amanda Woodrum

UHCAN Ohio: Steve Wagner

Accomplishments

In 2022, OCHC worked with others to create an innovative Health Equity Assessment Tool, designed to help policymakers make fairer decisions for all Ohioans. OCHC worked with a coalition to develop recommendations to financially support school-based health care in Ohio. OCHC submitted questions to CMS regarding access to health care coverage.

Health equity assessment tool (04/22)

Statewide workgroup recommendations (04/22)

OCHC Medicaid letter (04/22)

In 2021, OCHC advocated for anti-racism in health care. With UHCAN Ohio, OCHC encouraged policymakers to consider Health and Equity in all Policies. The coalition highlighted the need for Ohio to strengthen school-based health care.

School-based health care letter (04/21)

In 2020, OCHC recommended steps to Ohio’s governor and General Assembly on addressing COVID-19 and racial health disparities. OCHC advocated for integrating health equity considerations into policymaking. OCHC sent a letter to ODM regarding the implementation plan for Medicaid work requirements, seeking to protect Medicaid applications and services. OCHC educated consumers about health policies to increase community engagement and consumer voice in policy decisions.

OCHC comments to CMS (01/20)

OCHC letter to Ohio Department of Medicaid (01/20)

OCHC recommendations for Ohio’s COVID-19 response (04/20)

OCHC response to MHSF report (12/20)

In 2019, OCHC submitted comments to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in response to the request for comment on the consumer inflation measures produced by Federal Statistical Agencies. OCHC sent a letter to ODM requesting information regarding Medicaid enrollment rates dropping.

OCHC comments on consumer inflation measures (06/19)

In 2018, OCHC advocated at the state and federal level in opposition to Ohio Department of Medicaid’s s.1115 Medicaid waiver application seeking to impose additional requirements on people who rely on Medicaid for them to maintain health insurance coverage.

OCHC Comments to CMS on Ohio Medicaid s.1115 waiver proposal

In 2017, along with many partners, OCHC successfully advocated to protect the 2013 expansion of Medicaid to include over 701,000 Ohioans.

In 2016, OCHC engaged its member organizations in successfully opposing the State of Ohio’s s.1115 “Healthy Ohio” waiver request by disseminating information about the waiver impact, filing comments, and providing testimony on state hearings on the waiver request.

In 2015, OCHC supplied testimony and other input that improved the Ohio Department of Insurance rule requiring health plans to maintain accessible and up-to-date provider network listings.

Since 2014, OCHC has convened regular “feedback loop” calls with patient navigators, certified application assistants, and other providers of health services, identifying barriers in Marketplace, Medicaid, and other health plans and developing strategies to alleviate them.

Take Action

Consumers

Tell us how the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid positively affects you. Speak Up!

Partners

If you know someone who has benefited from the Affordable Care Act or Medicaid, and who is willing to share their story, email Steve Wagner (swagner@uhcanohio.org).

If you would like to learn more about becoming a member of OCHC, email Darold Johnson (djohnson@oft-aft.org) or Marie Curry (mcurry@communitylegalaid.org).

If you would like to join our monthly “Feedback Loop” to discuss issues folks are facing with their health plans, email Marie Curry (mcurry@communitylegalaid.org).

Funders

If you would like to make a donation, email Darold Johnson (djohnson@oft-aft.org) or Marie Curry (mcurry@communitylegalaid.org).

Reporters

If you would like to request a phone or in-person interview, contact Darold Johnson (djohnson@oft-aft.org) or Marie Curry (mcurry@communitylegalaid.org).