Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) Reports on Medicaid Spending

 According to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS), Ohio Medicaid, in particular in the category of Covered Families and Children (CFC), has been above budgeted estimates for 15 consecutive months. As of February 2008, a total of 1.77 million Ohioans were covered under Medicaid, a total of 1.5%, above projections. Total Medicaid spending through March, was only $18.8 million, or about one-quarter of one percent, above projections, according to the latest Office of Budget and Management data.

According to ODJFS, they are attempting to reach cost-containment goals, the savings for which were incorporated into the two-year budget passed last spring and now account for more than half of the overage expected by the end of the biennium on June 30, 2009. ODJFS has reported that cost-containment strategies are now estimated to result in $58 million less savings than originally projected for fiscal year 2008 and $164 million less than expected in FY 2009. 

One Medicaid arena in which the state continues to see underspending is in managed care. Fiscal year-to-date spending in the category for Aged, Blind and Disabled Medicaid is $148 million, or 12.7%, below estimates. CFC managed care spending for the year is $14 million, or 0.7%, lower than expected. Overall, officials still project the entitlement to be $400 million over budget by the end of the biennium.