Health Policy Institute of Ohio

HPIO's latest data graphic illustrates how Ohio Medicaid spends $12,000 less per enrollee annually for in-home care compared to institutional care. Ohio's Medicaid spending per enrollee with long-term care needs is higher than 30 states and the state ranks 27 for the percent of long-term care expenditures that go to home-based care (see HPIO’s May 22 data graphic: https://www.healthpolicyohio.org/our-work/data-graphics/ohio-medicaid-spends-less-than-most-states-on-home-care). By comparison, Wisconsin spends the least of any state per enrollee for long-term care and also has the highest percentage of its spending going to HCBS.

One of the key findings from HPIO’s recently released 2026 Health Value Dashboard (https://www.healthpolicyohio.org/our-work/publications/2026-health-value-dashboard) is that rising healthcare costs strain Ohioans, employers and the healthcare system. Employer contributions to health insurance have risen by 28% since 2015, while employee contributions have gone up by 53%. At the same time, one in four Ohioans reports difficulty paying for their usual household expenses, as illustrated below.

After years of planning and months of intense work, HPIO is excited to publicly release it's 2026 Health Value Dashboard!

https://www.healthpolicyohio.org/our-work/publications/2026-health-value-dashboard

With 122 metrics, the breadth of data in the Dashboard makes it an important tool for policymakers and stakeholders to get a complete picture of the health and well-being of Ohioans.

Join us from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29 for a webinar (https://www.healthpolicyohio.org/events/2026/04/29/2026-health-value-dashboard-using-data-to-promote-policy-progress) detailing the key findings from the Dashboard, trends across the drivers of health and disparities affecting Ohioans with the greatest needs.

Data from HPIO’s December policy brief Access to Mental Health Care for Ohio Children and Youth (https://www.healthpolicyohio.org/files/publications/childmhbrief312.08.2025.pdf) shows that the rate of emergency department visits for su***de attempts among children with commercial health insurance is higher than those with other types of coverage, as illustrated below.

The fourth and final brief in HPIO’s Ohio Child Mental Health Project (https://www.healthpolicyohio.org/our-work/projects/ohio-child-mental-health-project) will further explore barriers to care associated with insurance coverage and affordability. It is expected to be released next month.

Hot off the presses! HPIO has released a new policy explainer (https://www.healthpolicyohio.org/our-work/publications/changes-to-medicaid-financing-in-ohio) on potential financing changes for Ohio Medicaid as a result of provisions in HR 1 (the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act").

HPIO analysis found that, starting in 2028, the state could face a $3 billion annual shortfall in Ohio Medicaid funding, as illustrated below.

The policy explainer (and accompanying 4-page summary) provides more detail on Medicaid funding losses in HR 1 and outlines potential state responses to these provisions.

HPIO Policy Analyst Robin Blair-Ackison, MPH has created a brief explainer video on recent federal policy changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides food for nearly 1 in 8 Ohioans. Policy changes included in the federal reconciliation bill HR 1 will substantially affect eligibility and how the program is administered by Ohio and other states. The video provides an overview of HPIO's recently released policy explainer: SNAP at a Glance: Key Changes from HR 1 (https://www.healthpolicyohio.org/our-work/publications/snap-at-a-glance-key-changes-from-hr-1) https://youtu.be/_ajDAAsDS-E

HPIO SNAP Policy Changes Explainer (3.12.2026) The policy explainer describes how HR 1’s SNAP eligibility restrictions and expanded work requirements are expected to  impact the ability of Ohioans to acce...

HPIO has released a new policy explainer titled “SNAP at a Glance: Key Changes from HR 1." (https://www.healthpolicyohio.org/our-work/publications/snap-at-a-glance-key-changes-from-hr-1)

Enrollment in SNAP varies greatly in Ohio, from a high of 26% in Pike County to a low of 3.8% in Holmes County, as illustrated below.

The federal reconciliation bill known as HR 1 or the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which was enacted in July 2025, made substantial changes to SNAP that will affect eligibility for the program, as well as how Ohio and other states administer it. The explainer describes how HR 1’s SNAP eligibility restrictions and expanded work requirements are expected to negatively impact the ability of Ohioans to access healthy food.

This week HPIO is celebrating International Love Data Week! Solid data is the foundation of everything we do at HPIO. It cuts through the noise and grounds our work in evidence and a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities that face Ohio. And if you also love data, stay tuned because we are currently hard at work on our 2026 Health Value Dashboard (to be released in April), a data-packed tool for understanding how Ohio is doing compared to other states on more than one hundred metrics, where policymakers should focus their attention and what policies can be enacted to bring about improvement.

The federal government has begun releasing guidance on the implementation of new restrictions to provider taxes that many states, including Ohio, use to generate revenue to pay for their Medicaid programs. Ohio’s three largest provider taxes accounted for $3.2 billion in state revenue in SFY2025, as illustrated below. Provider taxes draw down federal matching dollars, enabling states to increase and improve healthcare access for residents.

Data released last week by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shows that 469,616 Ohioans enrolled in Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace coverage in the open enrollment period that ended Jan. 15, a decrease of nearly 114,000 from last year (20%), as illustrated below.

Ohio saw the second-largest percentage drop in enrollment of any state in the country following the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits.

In November, HPIO released a policy explainer that provides background about the ACA marketplaces and details how recent changes to the marketplace could impact Ohioans in 2026: https://www.healthpolicyohio.org/our-work/publications/changes-to-the-federal-health-insurance-marketplace

HPIO is proud to welcome three new Board Directors, all of whom bring deep knowledge, professional experience and a commitment to our mission to advance evidence-informed policies that improve health, achieve equity, and lead to sustainable healthcare spending in Ohio. Read their bios, and see a complete list of our Board of Directors, here: https://www.healthpolicyohio.org/about-us/hpio-board-of-directors