Ohio Home Care Program

The Ohio Home Care Program is Medicaid's integrated program of home care services. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) administers the Ohio Home Care Program (OHCP) through the Bureau of Long Term Care Services & Supports (BLTCSS). The Ohio Home Care Waiver benefit package consists of nursing services, personal care assistance services and/or skilled therapy services, plus one or more waiver specific services (eg. home modifications, home delivered meals, adult day health care, etc). It is designed to meet the needs of consumers eligible for Medicaid who have been assessed to require an intermediate or skilled level of care. Without the services available through the Waiver benefit, these consumers are at risk for hospital or nursing home placement. Consumers approved for the OHC Waiver benefit may receive care and services at home, or they may choose to receive their care in a nursing facility. Consumers enrolled in the Ohio Home Care Waiver and Transitions Waiver benefit packages are provided a variety of services through the OHCP’s contracted case management agency, CareStar. These services include home care case management (a service incorporating case management), overall care coordination, and data collection for the determination of program eligibility and cost range assignments. Consumers and families are viewed as members of a team responsible for the consumer's care and are involved at every point in the service planning development and delivery. Several consumer options allow consumers to have flexibility in directing their care and selecting providers. ODJFS monitors compliance with the requirements for the Ohio Home Care Program through a comprehensive quality assurance program. ODJFS monitoring activities include outcome-based consumer interviews, consumer satisfaction surveys, contractor and provider site visits, and review of consumer, contractor, and provider records.