Ohio's proposed Medicaid fee nixed by feds: 3 things to know

CMS officials spurned proposed changes to Ohio's Medicaid program Friday, which included requiring monthly fees from recipients for health savings accounts and holding coverage from recipients who missed payments, The Plain Dealer reports.

Here are three things to know about the decision. 

1. Ohio lawmakers proposed the plan in April — called the "Healthy Ohio Program" — to promote personal responsibility and personal engagement for Medicaid recipients. About 1.6 million Medicaid beneficiaries in the state would have been affected by the changes. 

2. Rivals of the proposal said the five-year pilot program would cause more than 125,000 Ohioans to lose coverage because of an inability to pay the fees, according to the report. 

3. CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt said in a Sept. 9 letter to Ohio Medicaid Director John McCarthy the agency does not "believe that this practice would support the objectives of the Medicaid program, because it could lead to a substantial population without access to affordable coverage." 

More articles about payer issues:
CMS rejects Ohio's 1115 waiver over premium concerns
4 recent payer premium rate requests and approvals
US senators: Aetna ACA exit is 'irresponsible'|

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Top 40 articles from the past 6 months