Health Expansion Updates

The Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS) TurnAround Ohio Health Care Expansion Toolkit website is now updated with the available expansion programs. The Childrens Buy-in Program is the most recent program that became available on April 1, 2008. Families interested in obtaining more information about the Childrens Buy-in Program can go to the Turnaround Ohio Toolkit to get all the information available about this program.

Other health care expansion programs available in The Turnaround Ohio Toolkit are:

• Increased income limit for pregnant women from 150% of the federal poverty level to 200% FPL. (Began January 2008)
• Coverage for certain youths between ages 18-21 who have aged out of foster care. (Began January 2008)
• New program providing coverage workers with disabilities. (Began 4/1/08)

Other States Experience to Expand Coverage

Ohio is currently seeking approval to expand health care coverage to children up to 250% of the federal poverty level. This is a summary of two states’ recent experiences in seeking federal approval for expanding children’s health coverage beyond 200% of the federal poverty level.

Ohio has already been denied approval by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand health coverage for children living in household incomes up to 300% of poverty level and is currently seeking expansion up to 250% of poverty level. Read about the experiences of Louisiana and Wisconsin on their recent efforts to expand children eligibility beyond 200% of the federal poverty level.