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Public Comments are now being accepted on two proposals to change Ohio’s Medicaid program, both with deadlines in early April.
Medicaid work requirements
Share your thoughts on work requirements with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services through April 7.
Unless they qualify for an exemption, up to 450,000 Ohioans could be at risk of losing health coverage if Ohio’s proposed Medicaid work requirement waiver goes into effect.
Ohio’s working-age uninsured rate would nearly double with proposed changes
Ohioans denied Medicaid coverage due to work requirements will almost certainly become or remain uninsured. Since they are not working, they would have no access to employer sponsored coverage and have household incomes too low to qualify for premium subsidies through the Marketplace.
If all the at-risk residents are denied coverage, Ohio’s working-age uninsured rate would climb from the current rate of 8.8 percent to 15.3 percent—levels not seen since the early 2010s. Eighteen counties, most of which are small and rural, could see uninsured rates over 20 percent as a result. Being uninsured has been linkedto lost productivity, lower wages, and higher employee turnover.
Submit comments by April 7
Continuous coverage for children ages birth to fourth birthday
Comments will be welcome until April 2 to the Ohio Department of Medicaid on continuous Medicaid coverage for young children.
According to this 1115 waiver, once a child is enrolled in Medicaid, the child will stay covered through this date, regardless of any changes in family income or household circumstances.
This waiver would:
- Provide continuous Medicaid enrollment to children through age three regardless of changes in circumstances that would otherwise cause a loss of eligibility;
- Minimize coverage gaps to help maintain consistent access to care, including early childhood screenings, primary and preventive services, and treatment;
- Decrease the need for higher-cost services associated with delaying care;
- Ease the stress and burden on families and caregivers as they navigate Medicaid coverage; and
- Reduce administrative costs associated with application processing and churn
Community Solutions offered in-person comment on March 19; download at the button on this page.
Submit comments by April 2
