Through Medicaid, Ohio will pay for some of the costs of assisted living and home health care for those who qualify for Medicaid long-term care. Assisted living facilities tend to be less expensive and less medically intensive than nursing homes, but Medicaid will only cover some of the costs. Ohio Medicaid is more generous when it comes to home health care services. Home health care can include specialized nursing or therapy services, home health care services such as medication administration or bathing assistance, and personal care assistance services such as meal preparation or cleaning.
For some Medicaid beneficiaries, the Ohio Department of Aging administers the Assisted Living Exemption Program to pay for nursing care in an assisted living facility. This program pays for the costs of care in an assisted living facility for certain people with Medicaid, allowing them to use their personal resources to cover room and board expenses. Assisted living facilities typically provide more intensive care than is available through home care services. The level of care sought by the COAAA is an intermediate level, which means that your parents need practical help with at least two of their daily living tasks. In addition, a Medicaid-certified assisted living facility does not need to accept a resident who qualifies for Medicaid.
To review a list of Medicaid certified assisted living facilities, visit the Ohio Guide for Long-Term Care Consumers. The COAAA or an assisted living community can provide you with documentation if your parents currently live in one. It's best to have it ready so you can get help to cover the cost of assisted living as soon as you can. To find out if the Assisted Living Exemption Program is an option for you or your loved one, contact your PASSPORT administrative agency. Not many people know that Ohio's Medicaid assisted housing exemption is available to help pay for assisted living.
Assisted living combines a home-like environment with personal support services to provide more intensive care than is available through home care services. I should also mention that some assisted living communities accept the assisted living exemption immediately and others accept it only after 1 or 2 years of private payment. If you don't qualify for Medicaid or don't meet the standard of care in a nursing home, you may still be eligible for some personal assistance services if you need help with activities of daily living such as eating, dressing, or bathing. People who meet certain service and care needs and meet established financial criteria may be eligible for the Ohio Assisted Living Exemption Program. The Ohio Medicaid assisted housing exemption provides assistance to cover the cost of assisted living by covering the cost of care in participating assisted living communities in Ohio.
