Many who lost Medicaid coverage to be reinstated

WOOSTER -- Based on the latest state numbers, there are nearly 4,200 Wayne County residents receiving Medicaid benefits due to Gov. John Kasich and the federal government expanding eligibility requirements.

The numbers were shared by Wayne County Department of Job & Family Services Director Rich Owens during a meeting with commissioners Jim Carmichael and Ann Obrecht.

While Kasich went on record to his opposition with parts of President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act, he supported Medicaid expansion in order to provide health care benefits to those in need. In Holmes County, the number of people receiving benefits through Medicaid expansion is 744.

Dan Jackson, director of the Holmes County JFS office, said he was not surprised by the number of people who enrolled for Medicaid benefits. "The design of the federal program pushed more for Medicaid than private insurance."

Owens also updated the commissioners about a settlement reached between the Ohio Department of Medicaid and a number of Medicaid recipients who lost their eligibility status due to the state's redetermination process.

In December, about a month before renewal dates for some Medicaid clients, redetermination packets were sent. Medicaid recipients were informed about their renewal dates, and they were instructed to fill out and return a paper application or to go online to renew, else they risked losing their benefits.

The redetermination process is used to ensure recipients still qualify for Medicaid benefits. In 2014, with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and Ohio transitioning to a new eligibility system, redeterminations were put on hold for the year.

Once the packets went out, the rate of return was lower than normal, according to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio. In January, 170,000 people across the state were up for redetermination. Of that number, 115,559 enrolled and 54,441 were terminated. There were an additional 150,000 whose benefits were terminated in February and March.

With the settlement (Legal Aid Society of Columbus, Southeastern Ohio Legal Services and Marshall & Morrow assisted the plaintiffs), those who lost coverage due to the process will be reinstated. Letters will go out in June informing them coverage will be reinstated. Those who have lost coverage can contact their county Job & Family Service agencies to request reinstatement.

"We are very excited about the agreement reached in this case, which will result in hundreds of thousands of individuals around the state maintaining the coverage they are eligible to receive under the law and being able to seek the medical care they need, without worrying about racking up medical bills or having to forgo other necessities," Kathleen McGarvey, deputy director of Legal Aid, said in a news release after Tuesday's settlement.

Neither Owens nor Jackson know how many people in Wayne and Holmes counties have been affected by the redetermination process. They are concerned someone might not know there has been a loss of benefits until they show up at physicians' offices and have a problem with payment.

"We'll have to see what the impact is," Owens said. "We might need to authorize overtime to get caught up."

JFS workers in Wayne and Holmes counties have been logging in overtime during the transition.

"I realize all of the changes have been a burden on your folks," Obrecht told Owens, adding she appreciated their efforts.

Reporter Bobby Warren can be reached at 330-287-1639 or [email protected]. He is @BobbyWarrenTDR on Twitter.