The U.S. House Republican budget bill could have a big impact on low-income families in Ohio. Advocates for Medicaid and anti-hunger leaders say proposed cuts to the two programs would hurt Ohioans and the state’s economy. Only one Republican U.S. representative from Ohio voted against the bill.
U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson said he supported “many things in the bill” but believed “deficits do matter and this bill grows them now.”
U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, voted against the bill.
She called it “a cruel and catastrophic budget that rips health care, food, and opportunity from Ohioans and millions of other Americans just to bankroll bigger and better tax breaks for billionaires.”
The bill includes “the largest cut to Medicaid in American history,” amounting to $698 billion. It also has a $267 billion cut from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over the next decade. “In Ohio, this means potentially substantial new costs shifted onto our state, fewer hospitals, fewer nursing homes, and fewer services for our most vulnerable neighbors,” Beatty said.
“It’s not just bad math – it’s moral failure.”
Ohio would see a direct impact from the bill in its state budget. The Ohio House’s version would eliminate the state’s Medicaid expansion group if the federal government reduced its contribution. Currently, the federal government funds 90% of Medicaid in Ohio, with the state covering 10%.
The proposed budget would scrap Group VIII — the Medicaid expansion group covering more than 700,000 Ohioans who live above the income requirements for traditional Medicaid yet still need help — if federal funding dips below 90%. Medicaid advocates say losing this expansion group would raise Ohio’s uninsured rate. Those dropped from the program would have to seek self-pay medical options or skip care, harming the state’s overall health.
According to Groundwork Ohio, nearly 48% of Ohio children younger than six rely on Medicaid for health coverage. The program also covers about 50% of all births in the state. A study by the Center for Community Solutions found Medicaid covers 2 in 5 children in Ohio, 1 in 5 working-age adults, and 1 in 10 adults aged 65 and older.
Ohio’s Medicaid and SNAP concerns
Families and children represent 53.2% of Medicaid cases in Ohio. The national Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) stated that the cuts would represent a nearly 30% reduction in SNAP funding.
This would significantly increase each state’s share of spending for food assistance. “The bottom line is this bill would end up costing America,” wrote Crystal FitzSimons, president of FRAC. “Rural communities would be disproportionately impacted.
We would see higher rates of hunger and poverty, increased health care costs, reduced academic outcomes, less productivity, and an economy hit hard.”
The Congressional Budget Office said cuts to Medicaid and SNAP would lead to a 2% decrease in household income nationwide in 2027 for the lowest income brackets, increasing to 4% by 2033. Households in the highest income brackets could see raises. Joree Novotny, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks, said the loss of SNAP funding and Medicaid would reduce access to vital services for everyday Ohioans across all Congressional districts.
Novotny estimated the current proposal would shift nearly $500 million in SNAP costs per year onto Ohio. “That’s about the same amount as all the state general revenue spent to operate the entire Ohio Department of Job and Family Services each year,” Novotny said. Anti-hunger advocates are urging the state to support bipartisan legislation proposing supplemental benefits for SNAP participants in Ohio.
Ohio House Bill 178 would require the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to provide supplemental benefits to households receiving SNAP benefits, especially if the household includes a member aged 60 or older who receives a monthly SNAP benefit of less than $50. The fiscal analysis of the bill estimates these supplements would cost the state $12.5 million in fiscal year 2026 and $21.4 million in 2027. Hope Lane-Gavin, director of nutrition policy and programs for the state association of food banks, mentioned the average SNAP benefit in Ohio is $171 per person per month, or less than $6 per day.
The federal minimum SNAP benefit is $23 per month. About 70,000 households in Ohio with adults aged 60 or older as the head receive less than $50 per month. “Access to SNAP benefits can reduce food insecurity, enhance medication adherence, and contribute to healthcare savings,” Lane-Gavin explained.
“If SNAP funding changes drastically, food banks will not be able to fill the gap, even though they served more than 230 million meals in 2024.”
The budget proposal would force state governments, including Ohio’s, to make tough choices. “This cost shift wouldn’t just hurt families; it would impact local grocery stores, farmers, and food suppliers, threatening jobs and access to fresh food across Ohio,” Novotny concluded.
