On Tuesday, two LeadingAge Ohio members—Kristi Strawser, President & CEO of Everhart Hospice, and Andrea Hale, President & CEO of Valley Hospice—testified before the Ohio Senate Medicaid Committee to advocate for fair and equitable Medicaid reimbursement for hospice room and board.
Their testimony spotlighted a persistent funding gap impacting hospice providers statewide. Under current policy, when a Medicaid beneficiary receives hospice care in a nursing facility, the hospice is reimbursed at only 95% of the facility’s room and board rate, despite being required to pay 100%. This creates a daily loss of $13.75 per patient, which can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars annually for mid-sized hospice programs.
Kristi and Andrea urged lawmakers to close this gap by reimbursing hospices at the full room and board rate—a change that would help ensure continued access to compassionate, high-quality end-of-life care for Ohio’s most vulnerable residents.
To watch their full testimony, visit The Ohio Channel. Learn more about the proposed policy change in our Equitable Hospice R&B issue brief.