COLUMBUS, Ohio -Officials at Ohio Medicaid, which provides health coverage for roughly one in four Ohioans, have filed permanent rules to continue expanded telehealth options beyond the coronavirus pandemic.
The department in March temporarily allowed telehealth, due to concerns over COVID-19′s spread. Preliminary data shows telehealth was popular, particularly with behavioral health services. At least 200,00 recipients used it for mental health services, with nearly 1.3 million claims.
Another 395,000 Medicaid recipients received telehealth services from medical health providers, with a total of 878,000 claims.
“This permanent expansion of clinically appropriate telehealth services allows us to increase access to quality care while maintaining the fiscal sustainability and integrity of Ohio’s Medicaid program,” said Ohio Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran in a statement.
Medicaid is a joint state-federal program offering health care to low-income Ohioans. As of July, nearly 3 million Ohioans were enrolled in Medicaid.
Before the pandemic, the department allowed limited use of telehealth, which utilizes email, telephone and internet conferencing platforms to connect providers to patients.
“During a time when families are juggling remote learning, work-from-home, and the additional stressors of life during a pandemic, ODM is committed to ensuring members can conveniently access quality health care services – especially mental health and addiction services,” Corcoran said. “Expanding telehealth is the silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The department’s rules will be reviewed by the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review — a group of state lawmakers who evaluate regulations to ensure they don’t conflict with existing laws and rules of other agencies or exceed the agency’s authority.
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