05/21/2026
Press release from OH State Rep Jennifer Gross:
COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Medicaid program in Ohio is in full crisis mode. Our house is on fire, and we cannot afford to wait as billions in taxpayer dollars continue to be lost to fraud, waste, and abuse in a system that has grown unchecked for far too long. Recent audits, investigations, and Governor DeWine’s welcome but limited executive actions highlight the urgent need for decisive legislative intervention to protect Ohio families, honest providers, and our state budget. As Chairwoman of the House Medicaid Committee and a committed Republican leader on fiscal responsibility, I am calling for immediate action on key reforms to restore integrity to the program. “We must prioritize and advance three critical proposals in Ohio's War on Fraud legislative package, alongside making our Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) program truly ironclad,” said Rep. Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester). These include: (1) a temporary enrollment moratorium on new high-risk Medicaid providers in categories such as home health, hospice, DMEPOS, behavioral health/sober living, and non-emergency medical transportation; (2) mandatory payment suspension upon any credible allegation of fraud, with clear timelines and stronger referral requirements; and (3) a one-time statewide off-cycle revalidation sweep followed by annual revalidation for non-institutional providers. Strengthening EVV with “no match, no pay” hard edits, GPS verification, real-time monitoring, closed loopholes, and meaningful penalties will deliver immediate impact, deter bad actors, and generate savings that can be reinvested in truly needy Ohioans. I urge my colleagues to join me in introducing an omnibus Ohio Medicaid Program Integrity and Fraud Prevention Act without delay. The fire is burning now—let’s put it out together.
