Ohio’s Medicaid rolls saw a nearly 800,000-person boost during the pandemic, swelling to a total of 3.6 million, but the number is expected to drop under an eligibility review triggered by the end of pandemic-era continuous-coverage protections.
Maureen Corcoran, director of the Ohio Department of Medicaid Services, said 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,” Corcoran reported. “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. ET 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 added even if an adult is determined to not be eligible, their child still might qualify.
“Be sure that you go through the whole process,” Corcoran urged. “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.
This article appears in Jul 12-25, 2023.