June 12, 2026  – Ohio officials have suspended Medicaid payments to 49 home health providers after identifying billing patterns that raised potential fraud concerns, marking one of the state’s most significant enforcement actions against home-based care providers in recent years.

The action was announced by the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) and follows a new executive order signed by Governor Mike DeWine. State officials say the move is part of a broader effort to protect taxpayer dollars and preserve the integrity of the Medicaid program.

Under the executive order, Ohio has aligned its payment suspension process more closely with federal standards used by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The change allows the state to immediately suspend payments when there is a credible allegation of fraud, rather than waiting for lengthy investigations to conclude.

According to ODM, the suspensions were made after the agency used upgraded data analytics tools to identify unusual billing activity among dozens of home health providers. The providers are now under review, and payments have been temporarily halted while investigations continue.

In addition to the payment suspensions, the state plans to implement several new safeguards designed to reduce fraud risk in home health, hospice, and waiver-based services. These measures include a six-month enrollment moratorium for certain high-risk provider categories, more frequent provider revalidation requirements, and faster implementation of GPS-based electronic visit verification systems.

Electronic visit verification technology is intended to confirm that caregivers are providing services at the correct location and for the approved amount of time. Federal officials have increasingly encouraged states to adopt such tools as part of broader Medicaid oversight efforts.

The Ohio action comes amid growing national attention on fraud and abuse in Medicaid-funded home care programs. Federal regulators and law enforcement agencies have recently launched investigations in multiple states, including Minnesota and New York, where concerns have been raised about oversight, billing practices, and rapidly increasing Medicaid expenditures.

Healthcare industry observers say Ohio’s actions may signal a larger trend as states adopt more sophisticated data analysis tools to identify potentially fraudulent activity. While provider advocates generally support efforts to combat fraud, some have cautioned that enforcement actions should be carefully targeted to avoid disrupting access to care for Medicaid beneficiaries who rely on home-based services.