Ohio set to roll out coordinated care for Medicaid enrollees with mental illness

State officials announced yesterday that Ohio will begin to roll out a plan in October to better coordinate care for Medicaid beneficiaries with severe mental illness and chronic medical conditions (Source: "Ohio to roll out new Medicaid benefit in October," Associated Press via Business Week, July 13, 2012).

The program is expected to begin this fall in Butler, Adams, Scioto, Lawrence and Lucas counties. The state then plans to phase in other counties until all 88 counties are providing the service by next July. Officials estimate that about 177,000 Ohioans could be eligible for the progam, although not all are expected to enroll.

"We're spending for this population in a way that's more much expensive today," said Tracy Plouck, director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health. "The thinking is that if we can introduce primary care, we'll be spending in a different way, but hopefully less than we otherwise would have been."