GOP, Dem budget reports offer suggestions for Medicaid spending

Separate reports released by Democratic and Republican members of the General Assembly’s bipartisan Budget Planning and Management Commission agreed on several options that need to be explored to control the cost of Medicaid, but the GOP plan also encourages the state to explore ways to create more flexibility in Medicaid eligibility (Source: “GOP points state budget scalpel at Medicaid,” Columbus Dispatch, Dec. 15, 2010).

Both the Republican report (pdf, 12 pages, via Hannah News Service) and the Democratic report (pdf, 12 pages, via Hannah News Service) endorse enrolling more of the Medicaid caseload in managed care programs and re-aligning long-term care spending.

While the Republican report emphasizes that “Ohio should NOT opt out of the Medicaid program,” it does encourage exploration of block grants, which would potentially provide less funding for the state but would allow for greater flexibility in terms of eligibility standards.