Governor Mike DeWine Signs Ohio Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act

Governor Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 315 into law as part of a package of 13 bills aimed at reducing government benefit fraud. The legislation mandates that Medicaid-paid home health care workers use electronic visit verification software, incorporating GPS and mobile apps to track client check-ins and check-outs. Additionally, the state will transition Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) cards to chip-enabled technology.

To deter financial abuse, the law escalates Medicaid fraud penalties from misdemeanors to felonies, introducing fines up to $150,000 and potential prison sentences for high-value theft. The bill also classifies such fraud as corrupt activity under the Ohio Corrupt Activities Law, which allows prosecutors to target criminal enterprises.

While lawmakers describe the measures as a victory for taxpayer protection, advocates for the disabled and rural residents raised concerns. A provision that would have banned Medicaid payments for approximately 7,000 family caregivers was removed from the final bill following opposition. Critics and policy experts note that the new verification requirements may delay patient care or prove impractical in rural areas where limited cellular coverage hinders software implementation.