Families USA Submits Comments on Ohio’s Multi-Year Continuous Eligibility for Children 1115 Demonstration Waiver Application

Families USA provided comments strongly supporting the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) proposed waiver application and we urge the state to submit this waiver to CMS for approval. We applaud Ohio for proposing to expand on federal eligibility requirements to provide Buckeye children with continuous Medicaid/CHIP eligibility from birth through age three.

This important proposed policy change means that young, low-income children in Ohio will have uninterrupted access to the care they need to develop and thrive, and parents no longer need to worry about the risk of disenrollment due to temporary shifts in income or difficulties filing reenrollment paperwork.

More than 1.3 million children in Ohio receive their health coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Putting in place continuous eligibility for young children helps ODM and the Ohio health care system achieve many important objectives at once — improving health coverage and care for young children and reducing financial strain on their families, while lowering administrative expenses and overall costs to the health care system. We support Ohio for moving forward with this proposed waiver to fully invest in a healthier, more secure future for Buckeye children.