CareSource Foundation Takes Poverty Simulation Project to Columbus; Targets Ohio's State Leaders

CareSource event draws 80 of Ohio's Top State Officials to Experience the Reality of Poverty

Dayton, OH, June 23, 2011 -- The CareSource Foundation is partnering with Think Tank, Inc. to provide a series of poverty simulations across Ohio over the next year. On Wednesday, June 8, legislators, business leaders, consumer advocates and state health and human services officials came together in Columbus to simulate the alarming consequences of poverty through role play and candid conversation. Following the simulation, participants discussed the challenges associated with poverty and how those realities should be more carefully considered when developing state programs and policies for low-income families.

"This program is a glimpse into the life of those living below the poverty line everyday in our community," said Pam Morris, President and CEO at CareSource. "It's a glimpse into the obstacles that are faced, the decisions that are made and the consequences that impact these families every day."

Opening remarks were provided by Greg Moody, executive director of the Office of Health Transformation, who had previously taken part in a poverty simulation and recognized the impact poverty can have on health care decisions.

"We have to understand barriers that are thrown up....and take responsibility as a system around how we make services more accessible at the right place at the right time."

State Senators Bill Beagle (R - Tipp City) and Peggy Lehner (R - Kettering) attended the session.

"One of the most interesting aspects of this simulation was its ability to create an atmosphere of pressure for its participants," said Senator Beagle. "The real world challenges that were simulated in this program made me set priorities in order to accomplish my goals."

Senator Peggy Lehner assumed the role of a bi-polar single man who was attending school.

"It was astonishing to realize this man's life spiraled out of control after one key event - the inability to pay for his anti-psychotic medication," said Senator Lehner. "To experience the frustration of needing medication and the desperation of trying to figure out a way to afford the medication was a true revelation."

The Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies released the State of Poverty and Self Sufficiency reports which denote:

  • 1.7 million Ohioans lived in poverty in 2009, highest rate (15.2%) since 1994 with an additional half million people (539,000) moving into poverty;
  • 65% of Ohioans living in poverty in 2009 were non-Hispanic whites
  • The highest 2009 county poverty rates were found in the southeastern, Appalachian area of the Ohio, while the counties with the largest numbers of people in poverty were in the state's large urban areas.
  • In Ohio the amount needed to be economically self-sufficient varies considerably by geographic location. For instance, the annual amount needed to make ends meet for a family with one adult, one preschooler, and one school-age child varies from $31,412 per year in Darke County (172% of the Federal Poverty Level, or FPL) to $49,632 in Warren County (271% of the FPL).

The CareSource Foundation was developed to provide strategic health care solutions for the underserved through grants, outreach, medical expertise, community partnerships and volunteerism. For more information on the Foundation, visit www.caresourcefoundation.com.