The bill amends section 5163.33 of the Revised Code to express the General Assembly's intent to increase the Medicaid personal needs allowance for residents of nursing homes and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICFs/IID). The current law specifies that the monthly personal needs allowance for nursing facility residents is at least fifty dollars for individuals and one hundred dollars for married couples. For ICF/IID residents, the allowance is set at forty dollars prior to 2016, increasing to fifty dollars for individuals and one hundred dollars for married couples thereafter.

The new legal language inserted into the bill mandates that, starting from the effective date of the amendment, the Medicaid director must increase the personal needs allowance to a minimum of seventy-five dollars for individuals and one hundred fifty dollars for married couples. Additionally, the director is required to adjust these amounts annually based on the percentage increase in the consumer price index, ensuring that the allowances keep pace with inflation. The existing section 5163.33 is repealed, indicating a complete overhaul of the previous provisions regarding personal needs allowances.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 5163.33