HPIO posts revised brief on Medicaid expansion's impact on behavioral healthcare access

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HPIO has posted a revised version of its recent policy brief on the impact of Medicaid expansion on mental health and substance use treatment access.

After HPIO released the brief, the Ohio Department of Medicaid discovered that the expenditure amounts they provided were incorrect because they included expenditures for a two-year lookback period (i.e. 2023 and 2024 expenditures labeled as CY2024). The brief has been revised with the corrected data and HPIO has posted a revised spreadsheet with county-level data.

The revised analysis continues to show that Ohio receives substantial federal funding for behavioral health services for the Medicaid expansion population. In 2024, more than $1 billion in federal funds paid for services for Ohioans such as outpatient counseling, psychiatric medical services and residential drug treatment programs.

If Medicaid expansion is eliminated, the state would have to cover those costs or face significant reductions in treatment availability. Maintaining current state investments and replacing even 50% of the federal funds would cost Ohio more than $627 million a year.

The findings are included in the first in a series of policy briefs in HPIO’s 2025 Ohio Medicaid Expansion Study.

Ohio policymakers are considering discontinuation of Medicaid expansion coverage if the federal government reduces the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) (i.e., federal match) for this group below the current 90% federal contribution. This decision would impact approximately 770,000 Ohioans. HPIO’s recently released Policy Considerations: The Future of Group VIII (expansion) Medicaid Coverage in Ohio brief contains more general information and considerations about Medicaid expansion coverage as policymakers consider the future of the program.

On Thursday, May 22, HPIO will host a webinar to explore the findings of the 2025 Ohio Medicaid Expansion Study, highlight the impact that eliminating Medicaid expansion could have on Ohio’s families, economy, healthcare costs and state budget, in addition to mental health and substance-use treatment. Register here to attend.