Government-funded health care in Ohio will now pay nursing homes an extra $30 a day for private rooms. This comes after the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved the state’s plan to create more private rooms.
Gov. Mike DeWine announced the change on Tuesday, highlighting it as part of his strategy to improve the quality of care and life for nursing home residents.
“Most nursing home residents tell us that a private room greatly improves their sense of dignity, autonomy, and comfort, and we know that private rooms produce better health outcomes for residents as well,” DeWine said. “In Ohio, we have the capacity to provide a private room to every nursing home resident who wants one.”
The Ohio Department of Medicaid developed the plan at DeWine’s request, incentivizing existing nursing homes to convert multi-resident rooms into private rooms and encouraging new nursing homes to prioritize private rooms.
DeWine believes this shift will improve resident satisfaction and health, moving away from the current approach. He cited a national study indicating that 82% of long-term care residents prefer a private room, while only 4% prefer a multi-resident room. In Ohio, the majority of nursing home residents currently share a room with another person.
“By reducing multi-occupancy bedrooms, we are improving the mental well-being of individuals and decreasing the risk of infection,” said state Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran. “We are taking proactive steps to protect nursing home residents and provide them with the highest quality of care possible.”
Once a nursing home is approved by the state Medicaid Department, it will receive an additional $30 per day for private rooms with private bathrooms. Private rooms with shared bathrooms will receive an additional $20 per day.
