This morning, the Supreme Court of Ohio ruled in The State Ex Rel. LeadingAge Ohio et al v. Ohio Department of Medicaid, granting the writ of mandamus sought by Ohio’s three nursing home associations. The ruling compels the Department of Medicaid and its director to recalculate and pay nursing-home quality incentive payments according to formula set forth in Ohio Revised Code (ORC 5125.26), and holds that the Department and director violated their duty to apply the law as enacted by General Assembly. The decision is a tremendous victory for Ohio’s nursing homes, which have been severely underfunded since the enactment of HB33 in July 2023.

LeadingAge Ohio is working with the other nursing home associations on next steps, which will include a forecast of the fiscal impact that the decision will have on member communities, a communication plan, and coordinated discussions with the Department of Medicaid. Questions regarding the suit may be directed to Susan Wallace at swallace@leadingageohio.org.