Eighty-four percent of Medicaid expansion beneficiaries in Ohio said having Medicaid made it easier for them to continue working, according to a report released this month examining the impact of the state’s 2014 decision to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
Sixty percent of unemployed Medicaid expansion beneficiaries said having benefits made it easier for them to look for work, according to the report. The number of people increased from 2016, when 52 percent said the program helped them continue working and 75 percent said it made it easier for them to look for work. The share of expansion beneficiaries with a job increased from 43.2 percent in 2016 to 49.6 percent in 2018.
HRI impact analysis
Ohio is awaiting CMS’ response to its pending Medicaid 1115 waiver application, which would require Medicaid expansion beneficiaries to work or engage in some other form of community engagement for at least 20 hours per week and an average of 80 hours per month in order to maintain their benefits.
The 2018 report estimates that 93.8 percent of Medicaid expansion beneficiaries would be exempt from proposed work requirements, either because they are already working or because of age or chronic health conditions. An HRI analysis found potentially millions of beneficiaries and billions in healthcare spending could be affected by state work requirements for Medicaid.
Interest in Medicaid expansion has grown this year, with Idaho, Montana, Nebraska and Utah putting expansion to a public vote in this fall’s elections. Maine, which previously approved Medicaid expansion by ballot, will also move forward after the state Supreme Court last week refused to hear Gov. Paul LePage’s request to delay implementation.
