400k Ohioans may lose Medicaid benefits this summer, report estimates

Hundreds of thousands of Ohioans may lose Medicaid coverage this summer when the federal government's COVID-19 emergency declaration ends, according to a new national report (Source: “More than 400,000 Ohioans at risk of losing Medicaid coverage this summer as COVID emergency ends,” Cincinnati Enquirer, April 19).

Around 3.3 million Ohioans were enrolled in Medicaid this fiscal year as of February, an increase from around 2.8 million from 2020. Under the declaration, Ohio and other states were unable to take people off Medicaid, even if they become ineligible. A new Commonwealth Fund report estimates that as many as 400,000 Ohioans could lose their coverage at the conclusion of the public health emergency.

Last week, HPIO released a new fact sheet, “Ohio Medicaid Basics UpDATE:: Trends in Enrollment and Expenditures During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” which details enrollment and spending trends in Ohio Medicaid due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

HPIO is also hosting a free online forum May 3, titled “What’s on the Horizon for Ohio’s Medicaid Program? Innovation, Equity and Unwinding the Public Health Emergency.”