Aging Connection: August 2007 - Ohio Department of Aging

Aging Connection

August 2007

State Budget Passes With Important Changes for Aging Programs

Governor Ted Strickland signed the state budget bill on June 30, 2007, after what many have called a remarkably smooth budget process. The two-year, $52.3 billion budget will touch the lives of all Ohioans.

For older Ohioans, several provisions of the budget will have a direct impact:

The Homestead Property Tax Exemption now applies to all homeowners age 65 or older and has been expanded to exempt the first $25,000 of the home's value, an average annual saving of about $400 per household. That means an estimated 775,000 Ohioans - one in four homeowners in the state - will qualify, according to the Ohio Department of Taxation.
Funding for an extra 5,600 available slots will help the PASSPORT program stay ahead of demand and avoid waiting lists.
Nursing homes will receive a $40 million boost in funding.
The director of the Department of Aging will lead a Unified Long-term Care Workgroup to develop a budget that provides consumers a choice and continuum of services, consolidates policymaking authority and budgets in a single entity, and assures the state has a cost effective system.
A new Executive Medicaid Management Agency will be created to work with seven state agencies to bring better management practices to Medicaid and help contain costs. Medicaid currently accounts for about 40 percent of the state budget.

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