Ben McCullough for State Representative

Keeping Ohioans Healthy

When it comes to keeping Ohioans healthy, there is certainly room for improvement. Just consider some of the statistics that I believe threaten the way of life of our communities. Did you know that Ohio only served 71.9% of individuals eligible for food stamps in 2004, according to the Children’s Hunger Alliance? Or that the Children's Defense Fund reports that 9.5% of our children live in poverty?

Health is an obvious place where we can do better in the General Assembly. Here's an example: from 2004 to 2005, Ohio underused federal funding targeted for children eligible for school breakfast, therefore missing out on $15 million, according to the Food Research and Action Center. When there are funds available, Ohio must actively pursue them, and it is the legislators' job to seek out these monies.

But overall, we owe our children a better system of health care. It is time that we step up to provide this vital service to every child, because they cannot help the situation they were born into, nor the choices their parents make. 70% of children who are eligible for programs like S-CHIP and Medicaid have not been signed up. This should become a new priority for us. Consider this: we know that parents already have to fill out extensive health documentation for their children enrolled in public schools. So why not piggyback from this information in implementing S-CHIP and Medicaid? This would reduce needless paperwork, let parents work with healthcare professionals they trust (getting signed up by school officials), and provide an effective avenue for reaching the children who need health support the most. We also need to oppose efforts like US S. Bill 1955, which would eliminate state requirements for well-child visits, immunizations, and more. These children should not have to suffer with preventable diseases that could end up have permanent damaging effects if not treated. If we teach the importance of coverage to our children and show just how beneficial it can be, we will raise a generation that will never again compromise their childrens' health when having to decide between this and keeping a job. The day for these impossible choices must end now. We must cover every child in Ohio for the good of our nation.

Other simple steps can be taken to help our children. First, it's important to educate future mothers about the benefits of breast feeding. Formula costs our government billions of unneeded dollars; and breast feeding is proven to reduce risks for obesity, provide a stronger parent-child bond, increase infant I.Q., and even decrease risks for disease or infant mortality. Another area we can work on educating new parents is the importance of awe in a child's development. Through nature, sounds, art, and other methods of early learning, the infant mind is stimulated in a way that will enhance learning for years to come. Finally, by working with programs like Reach Out and Read from 6 months to 5 years, children gain a head start. This program can be administered in pediatricians' offices as a part of a visit. Educating parents is vital to a child's growth.

When we look at working adults, a staggering 70% of uninsured workers are not even offered healthcare coverage by their employers due to cost premiums. It is just not fair that state employees can sit back with full health benefits while those who work just above minimum wage do not even have the choice to purchase insurance. I believe that small businesses should be able to buy into the same good quality service that state employees receive, and offer it to their employees. It could be offered at a low price due to the sheer numbers who could buy it, and businesses which comply could be offered a tax credit for every covered employee. When we expand insurance coverage to more people, we also put less of a strain on facilites that cover the uninsured, thus keeping their costs down for those who absolutely cannot afford insurance at this time.

In the healthcare industry today, the issues that are most critical involve the delivery of care and the reinbursement it needs. As we learn more and create more preventions, we must provide equally sustainable systems of delivery and reinbursement, making the process for all people involved less time consuming and more effective. Currently we waste millions of dollars on not being up-to-date. The people of Ohio deserve better.

Research is key to the future of medical care. I believe we can work in partnership with Toledo, Ohio State, Cleveland Clinic and other world-class facilites to foster a system right here in Northwest Ohio. It doesn't make sense for someone with a chronic illness like cancer to have to drive halfway across the state to receive the care he or she needs. We need access to healthcare providers in rural America just as much as the cities and suburbs. I want to work with groups like the Ohio Council of Medical Deans to spread the message about the needs of people with special conditions as described, and where to go for help. I also think public medical schools can assist OHP (the Office of Ohio Health Plans) in mitigating cost increases in areas like assesment, delivery, and evaluation.

Finally, as record numbers of senior citizens enter the system from the baby boom generation, we must work with the health system to ensure that quality services and moderately priced medications are available. This is why it is so important to invest in a strategic partnership with major health centers statewide: so the best our state has to offer is available at the fingertips of those in even the most rural corners of Ohio.