Ohio Medicaid Program for Home Care Options: PASSPORT

PASSPORT is an Ohio Medicaid program with long-term care options besides nursing homes. For Ohio residents with long-term healthcare needs that must be paid for by Medicaid, nursing homes are no longer the only option. Ohio’s PASSPORT program includes options such as home care and assisted living.

The PASSPORT (Pre-Admission Screening Providing Options and Resources Today) program pays for home and community-based services that keep folks out of nursing homes. Many of the elderly clients at our Dayton, Ohio elder law lawyer’s office want to avoid nursing homes and remain independent but have long-term care needs. Ohio’s PASSPORT program can help these individuals achieve independence while still having those care needs covered.

PASSPORT: Ohio’s Medicaid Program for Home- and Community-Based Long-Term Care Options

Ohio's Medicaid program for home- and community-based long-term care services covers a variety of services for eligible individuals as long as they are part of an approved care plan.

Services covered include:

• Nursing care
• Physical, occupational and speech therapy
• Personal care
• Respite care
• Counseling
• Homemaker services
• Home-delivered meals
• Nutritional consultation
• Chore services
• Adaptive and assisting devices
• Home medical equipment
• Medications
• Home health case management

Under the PASSPORT program, home care agencies certified by Medicare and Medicaid provide services to the individual in need. Only agencies certified by Medicare and Medicaid are eligible to receive payments through PASSPORT. If other agencies provide services, their services will not be reimbursed by Medicaid. The services provided must also be part of a “plan of care” that is approved by Medicaid. Services outside that plan of care will not be funded through PASSPORT.

PASSPORT eligibility

To qualify for PASSPORT, an individual must be an Ohio resident age 60 or older who lives in or plans to live in a non-institutional community setting. The individual must require care equal to that of a nursing facility and be at risk for institutionalization. Individuals in the PASSPORT program must also have an attending physician who will authorize their care plan and they must agree to the care plan in writing. Initially, to qualify for PASSPORT, services provided under the approved care plan cannot exceed 60% of the cost of a nursing facility (about $35,000 annually). However, once a person is on PASSPORT, his or her services can total up to 100% of the cost of a nursing facility.

Since PASSPORT is an Ohio Medicaid program, Ohio residents must meet the same financial restrictions as any Ohio Medicaid applicant. Details on those restrictions can be found in this article from Ohio elder law lawyer Ted Gudorf: Ohio Medicaid Rules & Requirements to Qualify for Nursing Home Costs.

If you or a loved one needs long-term care at home to be paid for by Medicaid, and nursing homes are not desirable, speak with an Ohio elder law lawyer familiar with estate planning and Ohio’s Medicaid program. They can help you determine if this is a good option for you and whether you qualify. An attorney can also help you create an asset protection strategy in order to improve your chances for eligibility without jeopardizing the inheritance you leave for your family.