05/08/2019

Budget in Detail: Summary Document

At press time, the House had not yet released its final biennium budget. A vote on the final bill is anticipated later today, at which point the bill will head to the Senate for consideration. In the meantime, LeadingAge Ohio legislative counsel Barnes & Thornburg has provided a summary of the different proposals that were included in last week’s House Sub Bill that are relevant for long-term services and supports providers. Among the proposals are:

• A 2.7 percent increase to Assisted Living Waiver;
• A 2.7 percent increase to PASSPORT personal care services, home care attendant, and waiver nursing rates;
• A new quality incentive program that will add $53 million to NF rates in the second year of the biennium (2021);
• Presumptive eligibility for Medicaid long-term services and supports, and
• A requirement that long-term care providers automatically be named authorized representatives for individuals in their care with pending Medicaid applications.

Other reforms included the introduction of a Health Services Executive license, home health reforms (see “Home Health Included in House Sub Bill”), and numerous reforms of Medicaid managed care.

Any questions related to the state budget may be directed to Susan Wallace, Director of Government Relations and Public Affairs at swallace@leadingageohio.org.