Ohio Medicaid enrollment spikes amid pandemic

The number of Ohioans enrolled for Medicaid coverage has increased more than 250,000 since the start of the pandemic, according to new state data (Source: “Ohio Medicaid rolls increase during pandemic,” Dayton Daily News, Oct. 29).

The state- and federally funded insurance program as of September covered 3.05 million Ohioans, with the increase primarily from covered families and children, according to the latest data reported by Ohio Department of Medicaid.

The Medicaid rolls have steadily shrunk for years as the economy improved in Ohio. But amid the disruption of the pandemic and related restrictions, many people have lost income and Ohio’s unemployment rate rose to 8.4% in September.