More and more Ohio residents are being added to waiting lists — and going without the home-based care they need — because of the state's low Medicaid reimbursement rates.
That's according to the Ohio Council for Home Care & Hospice. The organization has been asking state lawmakers to increase those rates, and lawmakers appear poised to act.
Based on the language that's included in both the House and Senate versions of the state budget, the Ohio Department of Medicaid calculates that personal home health care rates could increase to $17 an hour.
But would that be enough to keep home health care providers in the industry?
On Cincinnati Edition, we talk about the impact the state's low rates are having on residents and care providers — and the debate in Columbus about raising those rates.
Guests:
- Ohio House Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, Democrat from Westlake
- Gail Nelson, Clermont County resident
- Sara Albright, RN, case manager and clinical administrator for HCN Midwest, part of the Home Care Network
Listen to Cincinnati Edition live at noon M-F. Audio for this segment will be uploaded after 4 p.m. ET.
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