Ohio Medicaid enrollment keeps rising, but spending drops

While Ohio's Medicaid caseload has risen for six months in a row, overall Medicaid spending dropped in January due in part to a delay in higher service provider rates. (Source: Gongwer Report, Feb. 13, 2008.) According to Office of Budget and Management (OBM) projections, "Medicaid enrollment totals 1.75 million, which is 19,000, or 1.1%, higher than projected. However, Medicaid spending in January came in some $28 million, or about 3%, below OBM projections for the month. Through the first seven months of fiscal year 2008, Medicaid spending totaling nearly $6.5 billion from all funds is almost dead-on with the year-to-date projections." While the suspension of planned reimbursement rate increases for hospitals and community providers, along with a delay in other authorized program expansions, has resulted in no increase to date in Medicaid spending, OBM does predict Medicaid spending will increase during the rest of the fiscal year.