Catching Our Eye News Roundup, April 17, 2026

Every morning in the Ohio Capital Journal’s free newsletter, The Eye-Opener, we round up the news and commentary from across Ohio and around the country and world that is catching our attention. We call this feature Catching Our Eye, republished here.

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Catching Our Eye

• Medicaid. The Statehouse News Bureau’s Jo Ingles reports, “Sponsors say two bills would save Ohio Medicaid millions by removing ‘middlemen’.”

A bipartisan group of state lawmakers want to tackle that problem by moving away from private corporations called managed care organizations, or MCOs. Those were implemented in Ohio in 2005 with the goal of administering Medicaid while reducing costs. But critics say the MCOs themselves are part of the problem. A group of bipartisan lawmakers has come up with a plan to do away with MCOs altogether.

Sen. Bill Blessing (R-Colerain Twp.) said Senate Bill 386 would do away with MCOs which act like middlemen in the Medicaid system. That legislation and its companion House Bill 780 would move Ohio to an Administrative Services Organization (ASO). Blessing said it’s similar to the system in Connecticut.

• Medicaid at risk. The Columbus Dispatch’s Laura A. Bischoff reports, “Medicaid shake‑up could impact 3 million Ohioans and billions of dollars.”

Ohio’s Medicaid program faces a potential loss of up to $3 billion in state and federal funding over the next two years. Federal policy changes will alter how states can tax healthcare providers to fund Medicaid, impacting Ohio’s budget.

New federal rules will also introduce work requirements for approximately 760,000 Ohio Medicaid recipients. State lawmakers have proposed legislation to shift Ohio Medicaid away from its current managed care model to save money.

• Lake Erie. Cleveland.com‘s Sabrina Eaton reports, “Why Ohio is urging Congress to renew Great Lakes funding before this critical September deadline.”

Ohio officials have urged Congress to reauthorize the soon-to-expire Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), describing it as a crucial tool for protecting drinking water, fighting invasive species and supporting a regional economy worth trillions.

• ICE in schools. The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Gillian Stawiszynski reports, “Officer claiming to be ICE visited Cincinnati schools, district says.”

A law enforcement officer claiming to be working for Immigration and Customs Enforcement visited multiple Cincinnati Public Schools on April 15, according to an email from the district.

Cincinnati Public Schools sent families and staff an email stating that an “out-of-town law enforcement officer,” who said they were working on behalf of ICE, visited a small number of schools that were not named by the district.