Ohio moves forward with coordinated care plan for dual eligibles

Earlier this week Kasich administration officials announced the five health plans that will participate in a project aimed at better coordinating care for 114,000 Ohioans enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare (Source: "Ohio takes step to better coordinate medical care," Associated Press via Akron Beacon Journal, Aug. 27, 2012).

The plans selected by the state are Aetna Better Health of Ohio, Molina Healthcare of Ohio, Buckeye Community Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan and CareSource.

In the spring, Ohio submitted a proposal for to the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services to better coordinate care for "dual eligibles" living in seven urban regions. There are about 182,000 dual eligibles statewide.

Federal officials still must sign off on the plan, which calls for enrollment in the new program to begin on April 1. If approved, Ohio would become the second state, after Massachusetts, to enact a plan to coordinate care for dual eligibles.