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Budget Proposal Could Squeeze Independent Home Health Aides

Certain Ohioans with disabilities or chronic conditions who get care at home through Medicaid could see a change in who helps them bathe, get dressed and tend to their basic needs. 

A proposal in Republican Governor John Kasich's two-year state budget plan would direct the state to accept billings for such services from certified home-health care agencies, not independent health aides, nurses or other providers. That means about 16 thousand individuals who receive help from more than 13 thousand independent workers would have to make other arrangements, either through a home-health agency or by applying to become the providers' employer. The transition would happen over four years, if approved by state lawmakers. The move comes as the Kasich administration seeks to improve oversight and reduce Medicaid fraud by using home-health agencies.
 

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