CMS rejects Ohio’s Medicaid waiver request
Ohio’s proposal to charge Medicaid beneficiaries premiums—and end coverage if enrollees fall behind on payments—has been rejected by CMS.
According to the Toldeo Blade, Ohio’s Medicaid waiver request would’ve required Medicaid beneficiaries to pay up to 2 percent of their annual income, capped at $99 per year, into a health savings account beginning in 2018. Missing two of the monthly payments would remove them from the Medicaid rolls.
“We do 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,” CMS Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt said in a letter to Ohio’s Medicaid director. “Our concerns are corroborated by the data you submitted with your application that estimates that these policies would lead to over 125,000 people losing coverage each year.”
Ohio would’ve been the first state to drop Medicaid beneficiaries making below the federal poverty line, which is $11,700 for an individual, for failing to pay a premium.
For reaction from politicians which had backed the plan, click on the link below:
John joined TriMed in 2016, focusing on healthcare policy and regulation. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, he worked at FM News Chicago and Rivet News Radio, and worked on the state government and politics beat for the Illinois Radio Network. Outside of work, you may find him adding to his never-ending graphic novel collection.