ONC Reporting –
Ohio’s Medicaid rolls saw a nearly 800-thousand-person boost during the pandemic, swelling to a total three-point-six million, but that number is expected to drop under an eligibility review triggered by the end of pandemic-era continuous-coverage protections.
Ohio Department of Medicaid Services Director Maureen Corcoran says the review process, which began in February, will continue for the next year, so some people may not receive termination letters or renewal packets until fall or winter.
“We project about 280,000 people will not be eligible through this process. But we have to basically redo the eligibility for 3.6 million people, for everybody.”
Residents with questions about their eligibility can contact Ohio’s Medicaid Consumer Hotline at 800-324-8680, between 8 a-m and 4 p-m Eastern time Monday through Friday, or visit the Ohio Department of Medicaid Services website.
Medicaid coverage can keep out-of-pocket costs down for low-income families needing preventive care, immunizations and medications. Corcoran adds that even if an adult is determined to not be eligible, their child still might qualify.
“So be sure that you go through the whole process. Children have a different set of criteria, and so your children may be eligible to continue.”
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, between 8 million and 24 million people nationwide are expected to lose Medicaid coverage during the unwinding of the continuous enrollment provision.
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