Dozens of disability-rights advocates and family caregivers turned the west lawn of the Ohio Statehouse into an impromptu pressure campaign on Tuesday, June 9, zeroing in on language in House Bill 795 that they say puts paid family caregiving on the chopping block. Speakers warned that cutting off Medicaid payments to family members would push some Ohioans into nursing homes and strip people of the trusted daily support they rely on. The crowd included parents, self-advocates, and small home-care providers who traveled in from across the region to make their case in person.
After hours of emotional testimony, committee leaders quietly removed a provision that would have barred Medicaid payments to family caregivers, but many protesters said the damage was already done. As reported by WVXU/The Statehouse News Bureau, Marlana Kendricks, who drove two and a half hours from Cleveland, told the committee, "How dare you come into my house and tell me who can care for my child! I’m not standing here telling you thank you." Sponsor Rep. Josh Williams told lawmakers the family pay ban was pulled after hearing from disabled Ohioans and their families, according to that reporting.
Hundreds of written and in-person testimonies poured into the House Medicaid Committee as the substitute bill moved through hearings, and the official committee record lists dozens of opponents. According to the committee's HB 795 page, witnesses included Will Gallup, Georgie Elson, and Brittanie Maddox of Disability Rights Ohio, along with parents and small providers who fear the bill's language would weaken home-and community-based services. Advocates said mandatory electronic visit verification and tighter provider rules could unintentionally disqualify family members who provide daily care.
What The Bill Would Do
Supporters say the SHIELD Act is aimed at cracking down on alleged fraud in the Medicaid home-health system by stiffening penalties, tightening billing rules, and expanding electronic visit verification requirements for caregivers. WVXU reported that the bill would increase penalties for fraud and require EVV in many cases, a change some lawmakers warned could be impractical in rural parts of the state. Committee members said they will keep working on the language as they take the measure up again this week.
Photos from the protest show advocates speaking directly with legislators on the Statehouse steps and hoisting signs that read messages such as "Target Fraud Not Families," with captions naming Georgie Elson of Greene County, Will Gallup of Parma, and Elizabeth Brassell of East Cleveland. The Columbus Dispatch's photo gallery captured parents and self-advocates who say they plan to keep the heat on committee members as the bill returns to session. For now, the bill's future remains unsettled as lawmakers weigh anti-fraud goals against the practical needs of families who depend on Medicaid-funded care.
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