COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Gov. Mike DeWine announced a series of new initiatives on Wednesday aimed at cracking down on Medicaid fraud in Ohio, as House Republicans launch a separate federal investigation into alleged abuse involving home healthcare providers in Franklin County.
The new measures focus heavily on Ohio’s home healthcare industry and are designed to strengthen oversight, improve fraud detection, and protect taxpayer dollars.
“Ohio has long been a national leader in fighting Medicaid fraud,” DeWine said in a statement. “Today, we are ready to begin several new initiatives long in development that will enhance this nation-leading work and further protect taxpayer funds from those trying to defraud the state.”
Among the changes announced:
A proposed six-month moratorium on new home healthcare and hospice providers enrolling in Medicaid.Immediate payment suspensions for providers flagged as high-risk through new data analytics tools.Emergency rules requiring more frequent provider revalidation.Mandatory GPS tracking for electronic visit verification systems.New electronic visit verification requirements for live-in caregivers.
Ohio Medicaid officials say the state has already identified 87 providers for additional review and possible payment suspension through expanded fraud detection efforts.
The announcement comes as House Republicans unveil a new oversight task force investigating alleged social services fraud.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Kentucky, appointed Congressman Brandon Gill, R-Texas, to lead the newly formed Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses.
According to FOX News, the lawmakers sent a letter Tuesday to Ohio Medicaid Director Scott Partika requesting documents tied to a Daily Wire investigation into Ohio’s Medicaid waiver program for home healthcare and community-based services.
That report alleged nearly 300 home healthcare companies in Columbus shared the same addresses, with some locations appearing vacant or in poor condition. According to the report, the companies billed more than $250 million in Medicaid funds between 2018 and 2024.
Ohio Medicaid said in a statement that the department had already been investigating Franklin County home healthcare providers before the media reports were published.
Officials added that some providers identified in the reports are no longer participating in the Medicaid program or have not billed Medicaid in years, while others remain under active investigation.
Governor DeWine says legitimate home healthcare remains an important and cost-effective alternative to nursing home care.
According to the DeWine administration, Ohio saved more than $600 million in 2024 by providing home-based healthcare services instead of higher-cost institutional care. On average, officials say home healthcare costs about half as much as nursing facility placement.
Ohio Medicaid and the Ohio Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit report securing 444 Medicaid fraud indictments and 481 convictions since the beginning of 2023, recovering more than $78 million in taxpayer funds.
As of 2024, approximately 3.2 million Ohioans are enrolled in Medicaid — nearly one-third of the state’s population