COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A plan to address multiple problems that a federal audit identified with Ohio’s Medicaid system has been released and is showing signs of progress, said Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran.
Corcoran told federal regulators the number of Medicaid applications pending for more than 45 days should be down to 8,000 by July from 53,392 a year ago, The Columbus Dispatch reported. The paper reports the state also is working on 129,465 cases past due for annual checks to redetermine Medicaid eligibility.
Corcoran said earlier this month that the federal audit found high error rates in the areas of payment and eligibility determination. The joint state-federal health program for poor children and families insures nearly 3 million people.
Other problems identified by Corcoran in a memo to Gov. Mike DeWine included incorrect renewal dates, privacy breaches such as people receiving information about others, and incorrectly linking newborns to people who weren’t their actual parents.
Corcoran said the state could face billions in federal penalties if problems aren’t fixed. The plan released by the state earlier this month appears to please the government, which said that state officials’ “steadfast commitment to program integrity will ensure we protect the most vulnerable of Ohioans.”