Medicaid Buy-In Program Delayed

On June 30, 2007, Governor Strickland signed
into law a bill which requires the state to
establish a Medicaid Buy-In (MBI) option for
people with disabilities.

The establishment of an MBI program removes
a major barrier to employment by allowing
people with disabilities to earn more income
and still qualify for Medicaid health coverage.
For many people with disabilities, private
health insurance that covers their unique
health care needs is either very expensive or
unavailable. In the past, people who needed
Medicaid coverage faced having to choose
between working and having health care.
A person with a disability is eligible for MBI if
his/her income is below 250% of the federal
poverty level (FPL), after excluding the fi rst
$20,000 of their income. A person may also
have up to $10,000 in assets. People will
be responsible for paying a premium on a
sliding scale when their family income exceeds
150% of the FPL. Other exclusions may be
established in the MBI rule.

Ohio joins 34 other states offering the option
to “buy-in” to Medicaid, and an opportunity
for people with disabilities to become more
self-suffi cient, gain more independence and
participate fully in all aspects of community
life, including employment.
State Senator Stivers and State Representative
Peterson, who introduced the MBI legislation,
have said that MBI will pay for itself from the
income, sales and other taxes that working
people with disabilities will be adding to the
state’s economy.

Next Steps The law allows the Ohio Department
of Job and Family Services 180 days to submit the state
plan amendment for MBI to the Centers
for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) and allows changes, if necessary, to gain CMS approval. Between now and January 2008, the Department, in
collaboration with the MBI Advisory Council (which consists of private and public groups,
including ODDC and Ohio Legal Rights Service), will write rules to implement the
program. Additionally, regional meetings will be held to spread the word about this new
program.

“People with disabilities, their families and
others who support them have advocated
diligently for more than six years to make
MBI a reality,” said Bev Johnson, Executive
Director of Cerebral Palsy Association of Ohio.
Congratulations to those who worked hard for
many years to make MBI a reality for Ohio’s
workers with disabilities.

This article is from The Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council - http://www.ddc.ohio.gov/