Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton addresses rising health care costs and criticizes Republican frontrunner Vivek Ramaswamy for past comments on health care programs.
Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Dr. Amy Acton. (Photo by Nick Evans, Ohio Capital Journal.)
Ohio Democratic candidate for governor Dr. Amy Acton said Tuesday that she’ll bring a whole-of-government approach to dealing with rising health care costs if she’s elected.
She also took Republican frontrunner Vivek Ramaswamy to task over past comments about health care programs.
Rising costs, declining coverage
The physician and former state health department director said “everywhere I go, people are talking about the cost of everyday life. Ninety five percent of what I’m hearing is not controversial at all.”
Housing, child care, electric bills, and property taxes — Acton has heard voters complain about all of them.
“But the number one thing I am hearing about, and data is now showing this, it’s the rising cost of health care that is really putting people over the edge,” she said.
After health subsidies expire, marketplace enrollment takes a big dip in Ohio
As part of the One Big Beautiful Bill, signed by President Trump last summer, people looking for health insurance on Affordable Care Act Marketplaces stopped receiving an enhanced subsidy to help cover premiums.
At the end of open enrollment last month, Ohio saw a 20% decline in Marketplace enrollment.
On a percentage basis, the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians noted, that was the second biggest decline in the country.
“Think about that for a second,” Acton said. “We know people are just saying I have to go without health care in order to pay my housing costs that are going up, my electric bill, my childcare bill, they’re just going without insurance, and whole families are going without. That is a big concern.”