Jon Husted on Medicare: Orphan Drug Costs, Trust Fund Insolvency, and Prior Authorization in Ohio
Jon Husted voted on July 1, 2025 for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which changes Medicare's drug price negotiation rules for orphan drugs in a way that adds $8.8 billion in Medicare spending and raises costs for beneficiaries who take those medicines, and whose tax changes move the Medicare hospital insurance trust fund’s insolvency to 2032, a year sooner.
The Ohio senator also voted against an amendment to cut Medicare drug prices and add dental, vision and hearing coverage, and he voted to confirm Mehmet Oz, whose agency began requiring prior authorization for some services in traditional Medicare in Ohio and five other states in January 2026.
Jon Husted's Votes on Medicare Costs and Coverage
- Husted Voted for a Law That Raises Medicare Orphan Drug Costs. On July 1, 2025, Jon Husted voted yes on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Its expanded orphan drug exclusion shields more drugs from Medicare price negotiation, adding $8.8 billion in Medicare spending, up from CBO’s original $4.9 billion estimate, with higher costs for patients who take them.
- Husted Voted for a Law That Speeds Up Medicare Trust Fund Insolvency. The same law's tax changes reduce taxation of Social Security benefits by about $30 billion a year, which CBPP says is enough to move the insolvency of the Medicare Hospital Insurance fund to 2032.
- Husted Voted for a Freeze on Medicare Savings Program Enrollment Rules. The law Husted backed puts a moratorium on two Biden-era rules that streamlined enrollment in the Medicare Savings Programs and Medicaid for older adults and people with disabilities; KFF counts it as the fourth largest source of the law's Medicaid cuts, $122 billion.
- Husted Voted Against Adding Dental, Vision and Hearing to Medicare. Husted voted no on Sanders amendment 2435, which would have cut Medicare drug prices in half and added dental, vision and hearing coverage; it failed 47-53.
- Husted Voted to Confirm Mehmet Oz to Run Medicare. On April 3, 2025, Husted voted to confirm Oz as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Oz's agency created the WISeR model, which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning along with human clinical review to decide whether traditional Medicare pays for selected services in Ohio, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona and Washington from 2026 through 2031.
What the Medicare Changes Jon Husted Backed Mean for Ohio Seniors
- Ohio traditional Medicare patients now need prior approval for some care. Under WISeR, Ohio providers must seek prior authorization for services such as skin and tissue substitutes, electrical nerve stimulator implants, and knee arthroscopy, with the model running in Ohio through 2031.
- Low-income Ohio seniors face more paperwork to keep help with Medicare costs. KFF warns older adults are at risk of losing coverage because the law blocks the rules meant to simplify that enrollment.
- Rare disease patients pay more for drugs Medicare can no longer negotiate. KFF says the orphan drug change means higher costs for beneficiaries who take these medications, including Ohio seniors with rare conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions Jon Husted on Medicare
What is Jon Husted's record on Medicare under Trump?
Jon Husted voted for a law that adds $8.8 billion in Medicare orphan drug spending, moves Medicare hospital trust fund insolvency a year earlier, and freezes rules that simplified enrollment in help with Medicare costs. He voted against adding dental, vision and hearing coverage, and voted to confirm Mehmet Oz.
Did Jon Husted vote to add dental and vision coverage to Medicare?
Jon Husted voted no on July 1, 2025 on the Sanders amendment to add dental, vision and hearing benefits to Medicare and cut drug prices in half. The amendment failed 47-53.
What has Jon Husted done about prior authorization in Medicare?
Jon Husted voted to confirm Mehmet Oz, whose agency made Ohio one of six states in the WISeR prior authorization model for traditional Medicare, running from 2026 through 2031.
Last updated: 2026-10-28