Ohio seeks federal approval for Medicaid work requirement

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Thousands of Ohioans could soon have to get a job or prove they are working to keep their Medicaid health coverage. 
The Ohio Department of Medicaid announced Friday it formally asked the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to allow Ohio to implement a work requirement for some people receiving benefits under Medicaid Expansion.
 
Under the proposal ODM submitted, healthy Ohio adults between 19 and 55 years of age with no children or dependents must have a job or be in school or a job training program, or have a serious physical or mental illness to receive Medicaid benefits.

Governor Mike DeWine directed ODM to submit the request. The legislature required the action in a bill in 2023, which DeWine then signed.   
"Reinstating our work requirement will promote self-sufficiency, and it will give more people the purpose and pride that comes with a job, and it will improve the well-being of Ohio's workforce," DeWine said in a news release.

Ohio Department of Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran said in the same news release the state is empowering people to take control of their own health.

"By encouraging them to seek employment, we not only enhance their quality of life, but also contribute to healthier communities and a thriving economy in Ohio," Corcoran said.

"It's a misconception that some of these expansion folks aren't working." State Rep. Tristan Rader (D-Lakewood) said.  

ODM estimates 62,000 Ohioans will be subject to the work requirement. Rader says that puts those individuals' Medicaid coverage at risk. He wrote a letter to the Department of Medicaid in January urging the director not to institute a work requirement.  
"Those steps can be difficult for folks, especially folks that are really struggling to make ends meet, that are struggling with transportation needs or struggling to maintain consistent work," Rader said.

Director Corcoran was not available for an interview Monday, but a spokesperson told 10TV the state is working to create more job training and employment opportunities for those in the Medicaid Expansion group through the Ohio Means Jobs program.  
Representative Rader also worries administering the work requirement will strain Ohio's Jobs and Family Services offices.
 
"The amount of energy, the amount of resources the government would have to expend in order to qualify folks under this new order would be immense," Rader said.

ODM projects instituting a work requirement will save the save the state about $200 million. 

The ODM spokesperson says under the governor's current budget proposal, the state share of Medicaid funding would be $14.7 billion. The federal match would be $33.4 billion. Overall, 3.2 million Ohioans receive Medicaid benefits. 

ODM is now waiting to hear back from the federal government on whether the proposal will be approved. The spokesperson says the process for approval and then implementation is expected to take several months.