Ohio’s state auditor says 3,172 deceased people remained enrolled in Medicaid programs for older adults and people with disabilities, with nearly $1.8 million paid on their behalf. The finding is part of an interim review released Sept. 22 that also identified eligibility problems in a sample of living enrollees.
The Auditor of State’s Office tested 1,500 people in Ohio’s Aged, Blind and Disabled Medicaid population. It found 49, or about 3%, did not qualify for benefits. Twenty-five failed resource tests involving bank accounts, property, investments or other nonexempt assets; three had more than $1 million available. Medicaid paid $356,541 on behalf of the 49 people, averaging roughly $7,000 each, according to the auditor.
The deceased-enrollee review covered the full ABD population of 498,885 rather than the 1,500-person sample. The auditor attributed the problems partly to infrequent eligibility reviews, outdated application versions and renewals completed with information already available to the government. The announcement did not say that every questioned payment reflected fraud, and an enrollment record can remain open for administrative reasons. It did say the broader examination is continuing.
The ABD programs serve Ohioans who are at least 65, legally blind or classified as having a disability and who satisfy financial and other requirements. The state’s program guide says the coverage helps with medical expenses for older adults and people with disabilities. That makes accurate screening consequential in both directions: improper enrollment can consume public funds, while incorrect removal can interrupt care for eligible residents.
The review stems from an audit requirement incorporated into Ohio’s current operating budget. The related legislative proposal called for an independent examination of the entire ABD eligibility group, a corrective-action plan and stronger electronic verification of assets. In an audit letter, Auditor Keith Faber told Rep. Mike Dovilla that his office would expand the work beyond the initial sample to determine the scope of eligibility errors across the population.
Dovilla, the Berea Republican who sponsored the original audit legislation, called for referrals to the attorney general where evidence supports prosecution and for recovery of improperly paid money. His Sept. 22 statement acknowledged that the released findings cover only an interim sample. The auditor’s release did not include a response from the Ohio Department of Medicaid.
The next phase matters because the initial 3% ineligibility rate cannot simply be projected onto all 498,885 ABD enrollees without the full audit’s methodology and results. For now, the verified figures are limited to 49 ineligible people in the tested sample and 3,172 deceased enrollees found in the statewide file. The final review will determine whether Ohio needs broader eligibility corrections, repayment efforts or changes to its renewal process. It also should clarify how quickly agencies received death records and why individual enrollments remained active.
