Some Ohio Home Care Workers Have Gone Unpaid Since June 1

Some home care workers in Ohio have worked for nearly two months without a paycheck after the state began outsourcing payment to private insurance companies.

WKRC in Cincinnati, a CBS affiliate, has followed the story since July 22.

Beginning June 1, private insurance companies such as Aetna and Molina Healthcare have taken over as payment providers for workers who provide services and supports to Ohio consumers who receive home care through a Medicaid waiver program.

But the transition — which WKRC’s Jeff Hirsh reports was designed to make payments “more efficient, more streamlined and less bureaucratic” — has been far from smooth.

Hirsh has reported that some home care workers are contemplating quitting their jobs due to the lack of pay, which would severely disrupt care continuity for their consumers.

One home care worker, Lynn Deane, told Hirsh that working for no pay has “affected my health, my patient’s health. I haven’t been able to sleep. I’ve had to borrow money to pay my bills.”

Even some nursing homes have been affected by the switchover. As of July 28, the Butler County Care Facility in Hamilton was still waiting on crucial insurance payments.

WKRC reported that the county had to loan the facility $250,000 just to cover the basic costs necessary to keep the facility open.

— by Matthew Ozga