CMS announces plan to freeze state Medicaid waivers for continuous enrollment

The recent federal announcement of a freeze on projects that help states use their Medicaid programs to suit the needs of their residents could have an impact on future projects in Ohio (Source: “US Medicaid department freeze on state projects could impact Ohio children’s enrollment,” Ohio Capital Journal, July 25).
 
A July 17 letter signed by Drew Snyder, a deputy administrator and director for the U.S. Center for Medicaid & CHIP Services, served as a notification to states that the federal agency would be putting potential new pilot programs on hold in an effort to save money.
 
One such 1115 waiver, developed by Ohio, was set to begin in October. It would allow eligible children to remain continuously enrolled through age three, as opposed to the minimum federal requirement of 12 months continuous eligibility (as of 2024). Its aim is to ensure that children do not lose coverage due to potentially small changes in income or household eligibility. The waiver request was mandated through legislation from the Ohio General Assembly in the 2023 budget bill (HB33). The General Assembly attempted to eliminate this requirement in the most recent budget, but that provision was vetoed by Gov. DeWine.
 
The goals of this waiver were to make sure that children stayed covered through the early years of life, when access to services such as screenings, vaccines and treatments are critically important and prevent more intensive healthcare utilization down the road.
 
“This waiver offered the potential to help alleviate existing gaps in care access for young children in Ohio, which can improve health and prevent illness later in life,” Brian O’Rourke, a health care policy analyst at HPIO, told the Capital Journal. “With the recently announced plan by CMS to deny these waivers, these access issues will likely persist and potentially even grow over time, especially for families with lower incomes.”