Ohio Passes on Option to Delay Controversial Medicaid Electronic Verification Systems
By Barry Zimmer on August 23rd, 2018 in Medicaid
An Ohio Medicaid attorney at Zimmer Law Firm can provide you with help making certain you are able to obtain Medicaid coverage in case you require costly care as you age. When you get older, one of the big concerns is that you will become unable to handle activities of daily living and will need help. You may require long-term care at home or may need to move into a nursing home.
Neither nursing home care nor long-term care are covered by most insurance, including by Medicare. However, you can obtain Medicaid funding to cover the costs of your care provided you do not have too many assets to do so. Zimmer Law Firm can provide you with assistance making a Medicaid plan so you can get your care covered without having to first impoverish yourself to get below Medicaid’s resource limits.
Medicaid is one of the most important types of insurance for seniors because it provides coverage for the care older people need when it might otherwise might not be paid for. Ohio will also be taking new steps to fight Medicaid fraud in the home healthcare industry; however, those steps are not without controversy according to The Columbus Dispatch.
Ohio Passes on Option to Delay Controversial Medicaid Electronic Verification Systems
The new program to fight Medicaid fraud involves a federal requirement that states develop an electronic verification system to ensure that home health aides or personal care aides actually visit clients when bills for visits are submitted to Medicaid. While states have the option to delay the electronic visit tracking of home health aides for a year, Ohio has chosen not to exercise that right.
In fact, Ohio has a program in place that makes use of old cell phones with GPS monitoring capabilities that have been repurposed. The electronic devices are supposed to stay with consumers when they receive services provided by home health aides. The devices are supposed to be with these consumers whenever and wherever they are receiving services covered by Medicaid.
Currently, around 23,000 Ohio residents who receive services funded by Medicaid are already using the verification system. Once the program is fully implemented in the state, as many as 150,000 disabled Ohio residents who receive Medicaid service will be covered by the electronic monitoring requirement.
This has some disability advocates concerned about people who are forced to use the technology despite privacy concerns. Disability advocates have also expressed a fear that older people or people with disabilities will not be able to effectively use the monitoring devices.
Medicaid officials, however, indicate that the state has already received an extension on timelines and that Medicaid is working with the Department of Developmental Disabilities to make sure that the tracking system actually works for all parties who are subject to the monitoring.
The program is likely to remain controversial even if some concessions are made, because while the goal of fighting fraud may be a noble one, advocates are likely to continue to be upset by the fact that disabled Ohio residents and their caregivers will need to be subject to GPS monitoring and regular location check-ins just because the older or disabled individuals get healthcare services paid for by Medicaid.
Getting Help from an Ohio Medicaid Attorney
Zimmer Law Firm can provide personalized help and advice to those who are getting older who may need to take advantage of home healthcare services. We can work closely with you to understand your options for getting care covered and to make certain that you are getting the highest quality care.
To find out more about how our firm can help you with legal issues related to Medicaid, nursing home care or long-term care at home, join us for a free seminar. You can also give us a call at 513-721-1513 or contact us online today.