In March 2020, Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) made a number of operational changes to its Medicaid program in response to the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). These changes included taking advantage of the flexibilities offered to states such as increasing service limits for home-and community-based waiver services, expanding telehealth, and adding Health Care Isolation Centers (HCICs) as a nursing facility benefit to name just a few. Additionally, with the passage of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), the federal government provided states with a 6.2% increased federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP). In exchange, states were prohibited from disenrolling members from Medicaid, even if they were found to be ineligible. This was to ensure members did not lose vital healthcare coverage during the pandemic.
In December 2022, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (CAA). Per the CAA, the continuous coverage provision that prohibited states from disenrolling members from Medicaid will expire on March 31, 2023, and, as a result, states will once again resume routine eligibility operations. Ohio resumed its normal operations on February 1, 2023. This will cause some Ohio Medicaid members to be disenrolled from the program, with the first round of termination letters being mailed to those who are no longer eligible beginning in April 2023. Given the termination of the continuous coverage provision, it is critical that Medicaid members take the necessary steps to update their contact information, respond to requests for information (including renewal packets), or transition to other coverage if they are no longer eligible for Medicaid.