However, a large share of Ohio applications for Medicaid that were supposed to be transferred electronically from the federal website for Medicaid enrollment, HealthCare.gov, are still in limbo, according to the report.
The Ohio Department of Medicaid recently received applications for 117,000 Ohioans that had been stalled in the problem-plagued federal system. Of those, 38 percent were found to be duplicates of applications that were already in the state system, 33 percent were being processed automatically, and 28 percent were being forwarded to county caseworkers to be resolved.
Despite potential delays in processing, Ohioans who submit their applications before March 31 can avoid tax penalties associated with not having coverage after the deadline for acquiring health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, said Sam Rossi, communications director for Ohio Medicaid.
“If you qualify for Medicaid, and you’ve applied before March 31, even if you’re approved after March 31, your enrollment will go back to the date of your application,” Rossi said.
According to Tuesday’s enrollment report, Medicaid applications processed through the state system so far include 54,000 Ohioans who are newly eligible as a result of Ohio’s decision to extend coverage to anyone earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, or $15,856 for an individual and $32,499 for a family of four in 2013.
An estimated 563,000 Ohioans are newly eligible for Medicaid, according to the report, and 366,000 are expected to sign up for coverage by June 2015.
By May, Ohio Medicaid estimates that most of the initial influx of cases will have been processed. At that point, the department will conduct a more in-depth analysis to understand and report details about who has enrolled, according to the report.
About the Author