Complete Story
05/08/2019
Corcoran Fields Senate Questions on Medicaid Backlog, Spending Growth
In testimony last week, Director of Medicaid Maureen Corcoran shared that the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) has been asked to take corrective action on its backlog in Medicaid applications statewide, which currently topped nearly 80,000. At its peak last year, Medicaid pending applications statewide numbered 110,000.
This week, the Senate Health and Human Services Subcommittee of the Finance Committee heard testimony from Department Directors on a wide range of topics in anticipation of budget discussions.
Referring to Director Corcoran's prior explanation that there's a "lag" in terms of the economy's impacts on Medicaid caseload and related spending, Senator Roegner said, "That is a heck of a lag."
She asked what the administration could do under an improving economy to realize a decrease in the Medicaid growth rate. Ms. Corcoran responded in part that as the economy improves and some Medicaid recipients drop off the rolls due to finding employment, the beneficiaries that remain on the program are the most expensive to serve because of extreme illnesses or disabilities.
The ODM director also noted that from 2014 to 2021, there was actually a compounded growth rate of 5% per year. Compared to increases in the costs of private health care, Medicare and Medicaid and other metrics, she said, "our growth rate is lower" than those indicators. She also said the figures reflect an annual 1.9% increase in GRF state expenditures. (Gongwer News Service)
LeadingAge Ohio has led the conversation around the Medicaid eligibility delays experienced across Ohio, and advanced two key solutions which were included in the House Sub bill. To learn more about LeadingAge Ohio’s strategies around Medicaid eligibility, contact Susan Wallace at swallace@leadingageohio.org.