If Ohio Gov. John Kasich can fundraise as fast as he’s spending Obamacare money, he’s a shoo-in for the Republican presidential nomination.
After just 17 months, Kasich’s Obamacare expansion has cost federal taxpayers $3.7 billion. That’s over $1 billion more than the Kasich administration projected for the expansion’s first 18 months.
Obamacare expansion benefits for working-age Ohioans who aren’t disabled and don’t have kids cost taxpayers more than $300 million every month from December to May, based on Ohio Department of Medicaid figures.
Although enrollment — which Kasich said would reach 366,000 by next month — has leveled out at around 540,000, Obamacare expansion costs have increased each month for the past six months.
ODM reported spending $327 million on Kasich’s Obamacare expansion in May, with all the costs covered by federal taxpayers.
Starting in January 2017, Ohio taxpayers will be on the hook for 5 percent of the expansion’s benefit costs. The state share alone will top $200 million in 2017.
Read More at Ohio Watchdog.
Jason Hart ([email protected]) is a labor reporter for Watchdog.org. An earlier version of this article was published at http://watchdog.org/223390/ohio-obamacare-1billion/. Reprinted with permission.
