Source: The Center for Community Solutions
According to a recently released estimate by a health care organization consulting firm, the proposed “Healthy Ohio” Medicaid waiver is estimated to cost Ohio hospitals $2.5 billion over 5 years. Under the current Medicaid rules, those signing up for Medicaid are deemed eligible for coverage as soon as the application is submitted and physicians and other health care professionals can begin billing for services provided in the preceding 3 months. That provision is proposed to be eliminated, with Medicaid benefits instead beginning when the application is approved and the first payment made into the Health Savings Account. For more details, please read the article in Modern Healthcare.
The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians has submitted comments asking that Ohio’s 1115 waiver application be denied. The submitted comments state, “Ohio’s 1115 waiver application should be rejected for what it is – another way to dismantle the Affordable Care Act by eliminating Medicaid coverage for those who need it most. This waiver application is a foolhardy attempt to take Ohio back to a point that is even worse than its pre-Medicaid expansion days when large numbers of our most vulnerable populations lacked health care coverage.” Read OAFP’s comments in their entirety.
In addition, the Center for Community Solutions (CCS) submitted comments to the Ohio Department of Medicaid on the 1115 Demonstration Waiver known as “Healthy Ohio” in an effort to outline some of the concerns and questions CCS has in regards to what is a complex and potentially costly proposal.
- Promoting member engagement in health and personal responsibility, including the appropriate use of health care services
- Increase the use of preventive services by members
- Increase provider engagement in member healthy behaviors
- Increase the number of commercially insured individuals.
For anyone interested in submitting comments, please follow the directions posted on the Ohio Department of Medicaid website.