Medicaid Buy-In Fact Sheet

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Dear Friend of ASO:

Following my signature is a current Fact Sheet on Medicaid Buy-In. We will be posting this on our website under "Resources" as well. We will continue to probide you up-to-date information as the January, 2008 deadline approaches. Thanks to our friends at Cerebral Palsy Association of Ohio for this information. Medicaid Buy-In was a recommendation of the Ohio Autism Taskforce.

Have you purchased your Ohio Autism Awareness License Plate yet? To purchase yours, visit www.oplates.com and click on "Specialty Plates" or visit our website at www.autismohio.org for more information. Part of the proceeds of plates purchased in the next three months will benefit your local ASA chapter!Sincerely,Barbara C. YavorcikPresidentAutism Society of Ohio701 S. Main St.Akron, OH 44311(330) 376-0211fax: (330) 376-1226email: askASO@...home: byavorcik@...web: www.autismohio.org Please note: This is provided for information purposes only. The ASO does not endorse or recommend any providers, methodologies or services. Providing this information should not be construed as an endorsement by the ASO, either explicit or impiled.

The following is a fact sheet on Medicaid Buy-In:

Ohio Enacts Medicaid Buy-In Program

for Workers with Disabilities

On June 30, 2007, Governor Ted Strickland signed into law a Medicaid Buy-In program for Workers with Disabilities, as part of Ohio’s 2008-09 Biennium Budget Bill. This will allow Ohio to become the 35th state with a Medicaid Buy-In (MBI) program that will allow individuals with disabilities to be able to earn income and maintain Medicaid health care coverage. The following summary outlines provisions of this important legislation.

Eligibility Criteria

Individuals must meet the following eligibility criteria to participate in the MBI program:

- be 16-64 years of age

- meet the criteria under Social Security for disability

- must be working and earning income

- meet the income eligibility criteria – excludes $20,000 of earned income for the individual, then allows total individual income up to 250% of the federal poverty level

- have a maximum of $10,000 in resources; the resource limit will be adjusted annually based on the Çonsumer Price Index

Premiums

Individuals must pay a premium in order to participate in the Medicaid Buy-In program when their total family income exceeds 150% of the federal poverty level. The premium charged is 10% of the difference between 150% FPL and total income.

Grace Period

Program participants will be allowed a six-month grace period if they lose a job or if their disability improves. This allows individuals time to either find another job, plan for a transition back to regular Medicaid, or in the case of medical improvement plan for a transition off of Medicaid.

Approval by CMS

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is the federal agency that must approve the state’s Medicaid plan amendment. As a Medicaid program, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services is responsible for implementing this initiative. The law allows ODJFS 180 days to submit a state plan amendment to CMS for approval. If CMS identifies problems with Ohio’s law, the state can sever parts of the law that are problematic, yet continue to implement the program. Any changes must be reflected in administrative rules, which will be reviewed by legislators on the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review.

Medicaid Buy-In Advisory Council

The law establishes a Medicaid Buy-In Advisory Council comprised of representatives of state level disability advocacy organizations and program participants (once the program is operating). The Council’s role is to advise the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services on development of administrative rules and to have ODJFS report to Council members on program implementation. The Council is to be convened within 60 days of passage of the legislation and will meet quarterly.

Next Steps

ODJFS has much work to do to bring up the MBI program by January 1, 2008. The agency must write administrative rules, establish a premium collection system, make changes in the eligibility system, train state and county staff and convene the advisory committee.

For more information contact

Cerebral Palsy Association of Ohio

995 Goodale Blvd, Suite 2

Columbus, OH 43212

(800) 796-8498

(614) 228-8300

CPOhio@...

Development and production of this fact sheet was funded by CMS grant 1QACMS300055, the Ohio Medicaid Infrastructure grant CFDA #93.768.Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL.com.