Ohio pays for home health care through Medicaid waivers, known as PASSPORT and the Assisted Living waiver. A third option, known as MyCare Ohio Plan (MCOP), is available in 29 counties and facilitates access to both waiver programs the state operates.

Ohio Home Health Care Through PASSPORT

PASSPORT is the standard Medicaid waiver program in Ohio. Through it, seniors who participate in Ohio Medicaid can get a suite of home services, including home health aide visits, visiting nurse services such as wound care, at-home testing and testing supplies, durable medical equipment and various age-in-place supports, such as transportation assistance.

PASSPORT is primarily a medical assistance program that’s intended to help seniors avoid placement in a nursing care home, and so it must be authorized by a Medicaid-approved physician. Seniors who enroll in PASSPORT must pass a home inspection and a needs assessment that establish the beneficiary’s need for home health and the ability of normal home health care services to meet all of the senior’s needs without residential care.

Getting Care Through Ohio’s Assisted Living Waiver

The Assisted Living waiver is available to Ohio seniors who have a similar needs profile to PASSPORT beneficiaries but who currently reside in assisted living or an equivalent living condition.

Normally, PASSPORT doesn’t pay home health aides to visit seniors in assisted living communities, but the assisted living waiver extends those services to seniors who may already be getting non-medical caregiver support but who need recurring visits from a paramedical professional their community doesn’t have on staff. As with PASSPORT, beneficiaries must be current Medicaid participants with a doctor’s authorization for home health services.

Access Via MyCare Ohio Plan (MCOP)

Dual-eligible seniors who participate in both Medicare and Medicaid can access needed home health care through a third Ohio program, known as MCOP. MCOP acts as a single point of contact for dual-enrolled seniors, coordinating home health services and caregiver supports while crafting a payment profile that ensures the maximum possible benefit for seniors who need potentially expensive home services. MCOP applications are available through both Medicaid and Medicare workers, as well as from authorized Area Agencies on Aging in the 29 counties that participate in the project.