03/19/2026

Ohio Faces Mounting Uncertainty Over Underpayments, Policy Changes

Ohio nursing homes are still waiting on owed quality incentive payments, even as new state and federal policy changes add pressure to an already strained system, according to an article yesterday in Skilled Nursing News. The Ohio Supreme Court ruled in favor of providers last year, but the Ohio Department of Medicaid has yet to finalize recalculations—leaving both the total owed and payment timeline unclear. As LeadingAge Ohio President and CEO Susan Wallace noted, the situation is unprecedented: “This has not happened in Ohio before,” she said, pointing to the rare combination of delayed payments and shifting reimbursement policy.

Wallace also underscored the broader financial stakes. With House Bill 184 halting further accumulation of underpayments and changing how future rates are calculated, providers are now operating at a loss—about $60 per Medicaid resident per day—while preparing for additional federal Medicaid changes. “We’re now starting next year’s budget process farther behind,” she said, warning that the landscape could become “considerably more complicated” as new federal policies take hold.

Read the full article from Skilled Nursing News.