Ohio Medicaid Administrative Study Council

About the Council:

Description

The Ohio Medicaid Administrative Study Council was created to develop a plan for the future structure and governance of a new, cabinet-level Ohio Department of Medicaid. In recent years the rapid growth of Medicaid has been a serious budget concern. Left unchecked, the Medicaid program was projected to grow by more than 20 percent over the biennial budget period ending with fiscal year 2007. To reduce costs, House Bill 66, the state’s biennial budget bill, followed many recommendations of the Ohio Commission to Reform Medicaid including the expanded use of managed care, changes to the nursing home funding formula statute, additional steps to combat fraud, waste and abuse, and the creation of the Medicaid Administrative Study Council.

The 22-member council is comprised of health care professionals, members of Ohio’s business community, elected officials and various directors from the Governor’s cabinet. Members of the Council are named in the statute or appointed by the Governor and the Ohio General Assembly. The Council will be overseen by Chairman Dick Pryce and Executive Director Quentin Potter.

The Council will issue its report and recommendations to the Governor, President of the Senate and Speaker of the House by December 31, 2006. The Council’s work is based on the assumption that the General Assembly will enact a law establishing the new department by July 1, 2007.