Provisions in federal spending bill to impact Medicaid, rural hospitals in Ohio

The passage of Ohio's new biennium budget and the massive federal spending plan are likely to have significant impacts on the Medicaid program in Ohio (Source: “Medicaid work requirements, rural hospitals: What 'big beautiful bill' means for Ohio,” Cincinnati Enquirer, July 10).
 
President Donald Trump signed federal legislation on July 4 that will cut Medicaid by $1 trillion and make major changes to the federally- and state-funded health insurance program used by more than 3 million people in Ohio. The law passed as the Legislature finalized Ohio's two-year budget, which made its own changes to the Medicaid program.
 
The federal law didn't trigger a major part of the Ohio budget, which would eliminate Medicaid expansion coverage if the federal match falls below a certain level. Instead, Republicans in Congress found a different way to cut spending: work requirements. Starting in 2027, adult Medicaid patients under 65 will need to prove they worked, volunteered or attended school at least 80 hours per month. Ohioans with serious medical conditions, disabilities or young children are exempt.
 
Senate Republicans added $50 billion to the federal law for rural hospitals, which serve more Medicaid patients and could be hit hardest by cuts. That's in addition to a new state program, enacted in the two-year budget, that will help fund rural hospitals in southern Ohio.

A KFF analysis found Ohio could lose $6.45 billion for rural areas over the next decade because of Medicaid cuts. But Scott Cantley, CEO of the southeast Ohio-based Memorial Health System, believes the $50 billion will stabilize rural hospitals and give leaders more time to find a long-term solution.