Yesterday, I attended a press conference announcing an effort to enroll eligible Hamilton County residents in Medicaid. The Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati is leading the effort and we are helping with enrollment efforts.
The “Covering Kids and Families” campaign aims to enroll 1,800 eligible children and teens in nine Southwest Ohio counties, including Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren counties. There are an estimated 18,000 uninsured children and teens in the nine-county area.
Hamilton County has more than 140,000 recipients of Medicaid at this time, which is about one in 6 county residents.
Medicaid is a public health care program funded by the state and federal government that provides necessary health care coverage to certain individuals with limited income. To be eligible, a person must:
— Be a U.S. citizen or meet Medicaid citizenship requirements
— Have or obtain a social security number
— Meet financial eligibility requirements
In Ohio, someone is entitled to Medicaid coverage for free or at a low-cost if they meet specific income and eligibility requirements. This is generally 90 percent of the federal poverty level for families (about $20,000 for family of 4) and 200 percent of the poverty level for pregnant women or children to age 19 (about $44,000 for family of 4).
Here’s an Enquirer story on the press conference: http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20100315/NEWS0108/3160325/
