Data Graphics

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio has released a new report titled “Leveraging Medicaid to Support Housing and Nutrition in Ohio.”

In recognition of the health impacts and costs of unmet socials needs, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2023 began offering additional opportunities to state Medicaid programs to pay for a discrete set of housing and nutrition services.

The report highlights that many Many Ohioans have unmet health-related social needs. For example, 14.1% of Ohioans are food insecure, meaning they lack consistent access to enough food for every person in the household to live an active, as displayed above.

The purpose of the new HPIO report is to provide state and local partners across Ohio with:

• An overview of the Ohio Medicaid program, a description of the federal Medicaid health-related social needs (HRSN) framework and examples of the relevant programs operating in Ohio

• Information about options for covering clinically appropriate, evidence-based housing and nutrition services through the Medicaid program

• Opportunities and challenges associated with financing housing and nutrition services through the Medicaid program

• Next steps for policymakers, health sector leaders, community-based organizations and philanthropic funders to support the financing of HRSN services through Medicaid

To inform this report, HPIO collected information about potentially Medicaid-reimbursable housing and nutrition services in Ohio and conducted a series of 10 key informant interviews with state and national experts. The report lays a foundation for considering the opportunities for Ohio to leverage Medicaid reimbursement for services that address unmet housing and nutrition needs.

September is Suicide Prevention Month and in July, Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill designating Sept. 22 as Veterans Suicide Awareness and Prevention Day.

HPIO analysis of Veterans Administration data found that the suicide rate for veterans in 2021 was nearly 80% higher than Ohio overall, as illustrated above. Data also shows that veteran suicides are more often completed using a firearm. The VA data found that the veteran suicide rate in Ohio is about the same as the national veteran suicide rate, but is significantly higher than the national general population suicide rate.

“Suicide among Veterans is at a crisis level,” according to the Ohio Suicide Prevention Foundation (OSPF). “Though we’ve come a long way in learning how to recognize the signs and what to do to help, we need to step up the effort to integrate suicide prevention practices within post-service culture, connect those in need to life-saving resources, and improve access to mental health care.”

To learn more about suicide prevention for veterans, visit OSPF’s website.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org 24/7 for free and confidential support.

September is Hunger Action Month and new data analysis from HPIO shows that nearly 30% of Black Ohioans and one in four Latino Ohioans were food insecure in 2022.

Access to healthy food is a major contributor to overall health. Factors like discrimination and poverty can cause barriers to opportunity, such as an inability to access healthy food.

Data from Feeding America found that an estimated 1,653,610 Ohioans were food insecure in 2022. As illustrated above, there is a large racial disparity in food access in Ohio. The 2024 Health Value Dashboard found that Ohio ranks in the bottom half of states and D.C. (34th) in food access and food insecurity.

Later this month, HPIO will release a new report on how new federal opportunities in the Medicaid program can be leveraged by state and local partners to support housing and nutrition services in Ohio.

HPIO has released a new policy brief titled, Creating a Financially Prosperous Ohio: Strategies to Improve Family Financial Security.

When Ohioans live in communities that support their health and economic well-being, their families thrive. However, many families are struggling to pay their rent, put food on their tables, cover their healthcare expenses and save for the future.

Financial insecurity can negatively impact a variety of health and well-being outcomes across generations, including exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) (potentially traumatic events that occur in childhood). This can negatively affect children’s long-term mental, physical and financial health. As illustrated above, children in families earning more income are less likely to experience two or more ACEs.

Still, Ohioans are resilient, and Ohio leaders can create environments and opportunities that allow every family to thrive. This brief includes:

• Data and information on how financial insecurity affects families’ health, well-being and ACEs exposure
• Perspectives from participants in an evidence-based program that supports financial security
• Data and information on the factors contributing to financial security
• Strategies for how public and private partners can support financial prosperity and prevent childhood adversity

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio has released a new data snapshot highlighting health in rural and Appalachian Ohio.

Living in communities with access to opportunity and resources is a key contributor to Ohioans’ health, well-being and economic security. There are many positive aspects of living in rural areas of Ohio, but the more than 2.3 million Ohioans who live in rural counties face a number of challenges that contribute to poor health outcomes.

The snapshot illustrates differences in community conditions, access to care, poverty and chronic stress. It also highlights health outcomes, such as deaths among working-age Ohioans. As illustrated above, early deaths have increased in Ohio over the past decade, and Ohioans living in rural, Appalachian counties continue to die early at a much higher rate than other rural counties or Ohio overall.

The snapshot also includes links to resources for state and local leaders. According to the snapshot, “There are many effective strategies that state and local leaders can use to ensure that Ohioans living in rural areas have access to the resources and environments needed to promote health and well-being.”

HPIO's statewide Health Policy Summit will feature a breakout session with Nationwide Children's Hospital researchers highlighting lessons learned from implementation of a pediatric Medicaid innovation model aimed at improved health outcomes and cost savings in rural and Appalachian Ohio. The Summit will be held on Thursday, Oct. 3 in Columbus. To learn more, and to register, visit HPIO's website.

New data analysis from HPIO has found that Ohioans in rural areas face greater challenges to accessing health care providers than the state overall. As illustrated above, rural counties have a lower rate of primary care, dental and mental health providers per capita than the state overall. And the bottom 10 counties for provider rates in all three categories are rural or partially rural counties.

Health is closely tied to the communities in which an individual lives, works and plays and ensuring access to medical services in rural areas can significantly improve health outcomes and reduce disparities.

On Wednesday Aug. 21, HPIO is hosting a free webinar titled "Spotlight on Rural Health: Innovative Solutions for Equity and Access.” The webinar will highlight rural healthcare infrastructure, access and health disparities. Speakers will explore unique health equity challenges in a rural context, how policy change can address challenges in rural healthcare access, and strategies for local and state policymakers to address workforce and specialist shortages in rural areas.