Ohio lawmakers have passed a new bill aimed at reducing fraud in the state’s Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) programs. The bill, which was passed with broad bipartisan support, requires providers of non-emergency medical transportation and nonmedical home care services to use electronic visit verification, including GPS tracking, to support their payment claims.
Medicaid Fraud Reduction
The bill also gives state officials the authority to use technology to detect suspicious billing activity and requires the state to replace all Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards with cards containing a security chip to reduce the risk of fraud.
The legislation was prompted by a series of reports highlighting a high volume of claims for home health services in the Columbus area, as well as concerns about the approval of individuals with questionable backgrounds to bill Medicaid. Lawmakers initially considered a ban on family members providing non-medical care to their relatives, but this provision was ultimately removed from the bill after emotional testimony from relative caregivers.
State Rep. Brian Stewart, a Republican who chairs the House Finance Committee, said that lawmakers’ views on the issue changed as they learned more about the Medicaid system. He noted that the bill’s goal is to reduce fraud and ensure that the program is being used as intended, while also protecting the rights of legitimate caregivers.
Impact on Caregivers
Some advocates have expressed concerns that the GPS tracking requirements could pose a barrier to legitimate care, particularly in areas with limited internet or cell phone access. However, lawmakers have exempted live-in family caregivers from the tracking requirements, and the bill also includes provisions to address the needs of individuals with developmental disabilities who receive home care through a waiver program.
Democratic lawmakers, who initially questioned the need for the bill, ultimately supported the final product. Cleveland State Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, the ranking Democrat on the finance committee, said that Republicans agreed to many Democratic-suggested changes and removed the worst parts of earlier versions of the bill.
Original reporting: Signal Cleveland — read the source article.
