Medicaid in Ohio

This is interesting.

The Columbus Dispatch – Local/State:
WASHINGTON — Ohio’s Medicaid rolls have fallen since the state began enforcing a federal law that requires participants in the health-care program for the poor to prove they are U.S. citizens.

“Wachtel said it is highly unlikely that county workers have been turning away illegal immigrants. Instead, she said it is more likely that longtime state residents are having difficulty providing the documentation they need to prove they are U.S. citizens. Those documents include a passport, an original copy of their birth certificate, a driver’s license or a military identification card”

I’ll bet it’s fallen big time in Akron, but not necessarily because we have many illegal immigrants. If you don’t have a car or even if you do, the places you have to go to get this documentation would make complying quite challenging. The documentation office for birth certificates is right downtown Akron, with very limited parking. To get social security cards you have to go to another office a good three or so miles away on the west side of the city. Even if you already have this documentation, they are not accepting phtocopies. You have to have them copied at the desk and they have to be turned in by someone 18 or older. That means you have to park and go into the building, except there is no public parking at the Social Services building! There is a place to pick up and drop off, but not a place to park and come in within reasonable walking distance. For a mom with young kids, especially with the weather we’re having now, this is almost an impossible task.

I understand the reasoning, but just like the recent HIPPA laws, the practical application leaves much to be desired.