By: Domonic Hopson, CEO of Neighborhood Family Practice

Last month, I traveled to Washington, D.C., to share a message that Ohioans can’t afford to ignore: Medicaid is more than a safety-net program — it’s a smart investment that supports working families, strengthens our communities, and keeps health care costs down.

At Neighborhood Family Practice, where I serve as CEO, nearly 55% of our patients rely on Medicaid to access primary care, manage chronic illnesses, and avoid costly ER visits.

Proposed federal cuts to Medicaid would greatly impact places like ours. Many of Ohio’s 58 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), will face insurmountable financial harm. This financial harm would translate to a reduction in critical health care access for those who need it the most.

Preventive care funded through Medicaid reduces expensive hospital visits, keeps people healthy enough to work, and lowers long-term public costs. Cutting it will shift the burden elsewhere — to hospitals, taxpayers, and emergency rooms.

Maternal and infant health is especially at risk. Ohio’s high infant mortality rates demand more care, not less. Medicaid supports prenatal and postpartum services that save lives and strengthen families.

This is an opportunity to protect smart, efficient policies that support Ohio’s health, workforce, and economy. Congress should strengthen Medicaid — not cut it.

Domonic Hopson is the CEO of Neighborhood Family Practice, an FQHC serving Cleveland’s West Side.