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Broken Systems, Broken Lives: The Healthcare Struggles in Ohio

By: Darnesha Greene & Devyn Edmond

OVERVIEW

Lack of healthcare refers to lack of access to essential medical services, including preventive care, diagnosis, treatment, and emergency services. This disproportionately affects the Black community, immigrants, the LGBTQ+ community, and low-income individuals. When it comes to health outcomes, Ohio ranks 44th out of 50, meaning residents experience poorer health overall.�Health Policy Institute of Ohio. (2024, April 9). 2024 Health Value Dashboard (6th ed.) (Health Policy Institute of Ohio.)

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PROBLEM STATEMENT

Lack of healthcare is a pervasive issue across low income cities all across The United States, and Cleveland, Ohio is no stranger to this crisis. Several Northeast Ohio health systems, including MetroHealth, University Hospitals, and many more experienced financial losses in 2024 because of this roughly 35,000 Cuyahoga County residents would need to begin working or lose Medicaid. The big beautiful bill act that was just passed will cut medicaid and medicare for those people with disabilities and the elderly in Ohio, simultaneously triggering $490 billion in cuts to Medicare from 2027 to 2034.

Hack, C. (2025, July 3). What the Big Beautiful bill means for Cuyahoga County. (Signal Cleveland.)

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OBJECTIVES

  • Expand and improve access to care by offering different jobs and programs.

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  • Help fund health insurance programs like nonprofits and government funded programs.

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  • Leveraging technology like Telehealth, virtual visits and My chart.

WHAT WE LEARNED

Thank you for your investment in our Youth Leaders: City of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University Sears think[box]; DigitalC; RPM International Inc.; CHN Housing Partners; Ratner Family Foundation; Youth Opportunities Unlimited; Cleveland EMS; The Vanguards of Cleveland & Cleveland Fire; Kimberly Inthavong of Seven Ways To Live; Mary Nazimiec; Kevin Ringer; and Tasty Treasures.

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PROPOSED SOLUTION

  • Help fund health insurance for the homeless in Cleveland
  • Retain the ACA market reforms to help access health insurance
  • Provide programs to assist with affordable healthcare
  • Fund the OACHC to benefit access to healthcare

SPECIAL THANKS

  • Over 25 million people in the U.S. were uninsured in 2023.

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  • Over 1 in 5 adults without coverage reported forgoing care due to cost.

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  • People in rural areas often face additional challenges.

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  • 27.6 million Americans of all ages did not have health insurance in 2022.

SOURCES

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https://www.americanprogress.org/article/top-10-ways-to-improve-health-and-health-equity/

https://signalcleveland.org/big-beautiful-bill-what-it-means-cuyahoga-county/

https://unitedwaynca.org/blog/healthcare-disparities/

https://www.daytondailynews.com/local/big-beautiful-bill-cuts-to-medicaid-could-reduce-billions-in-health-spending-power-at-hospitals-statewide/GZUKLV5WZFAHZBHOMRPMA6N5A4/ https://www.healthpolicyohio.org/files/assets/2024healthvaluedashboardfinal.pdf

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