COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio has spent fewer dollars than it expected on Medicaid, the federal-state health program for low-income people.
State officials have been working to rein in the cost of the $19.8 billion program. In the budget year that ended in June, state figures show Ohio spent $590 million less than it had anticipated.
Medicaid spending for the current fiscal year is also tracking below projections. The state has spent about $6.2 billion on Medicaid since July. That's about $219 million less than it expected to spend through November.
Officials credit the slowdown to changes in how providers are reimbursed and claims are processed, among other reforms.
Medicaid's growth rate is among the factors officials are monitoring as they decide whether to expand the program under the new federal health care law.
