As Introduced

136th General Assembly

Regular Session H. B. No. 930

2025-2026

Representative Williams

To enact section 5166.38 of the Revised Code to establish an orientation program for individuals newly enrolled in the Medicaid program and to designate this act the Medicaid Bridge to Independence Act.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That section 5166.38 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 5166.38. (A) The medicaid director shall establish a medicaid waiver component in accordance with this section under which medicaid recipients must complete an orientation program after enrolling in the medicaid program.

(B) Under the waiver component, the department of medicaid shall establish an orientation program that all individuals must complete upon initial enrollment in the medicaid program as a condition of continued participation in the program. In its waiver application, the department shall make provision for individuals who are enrolled in the medicaid program on the effective date of this section to complete the orientation program.

The orientation program shall be designed to inform and empower medicaid recipients and, at a minimum, include all of the following topics:

(1) Financial literacy and management, budgeting fundamentals, banking access and savings strategies, understanding debt and financial planning, credit education including explanations of credit scores and reports and how to build and repair credit, and avoidance of predatory lending practices;

(2) Workforce development and employment resources, an overview of state and local job training programs, apprenticeships and career pathways, and coordination with workforce agencies and employers;

(3) Available behavioral and mental health services, mental health counseling services, substance use disorder treatment programs, crisis intervention and stabilization services, emergency and crisis resources, information on behavioral health emergency response systems, suicide prevention resources, and community-based crisis hotlines and response units;

(4) Health system navigation, including how to access primary care services, the importance of preventive care, and appropriate use of emergency services.

(C)(1) The department may deliver the orientation program through multiple platforms including in-person sessions, online modules, hybrid formats, and partnerships with community-based organizations.

(2) The department shall ensure that orientation program materials are accessible for individuals with disabilities, are available in multiple languages, and provide for reasonable accommodations that ensure access for individuals with transportation or childcare barriers.

(D)(1) The department shall establish flexible timelines under which an individual may complete the orientation program. No individual shall be denied immediate eligibility for the medicaid program or access to medically necessary services while they are completing the orientation program.

(2) At its discretion, the department may waive the requirement that an individual complete the orientation program if the department determines the individual's medical condition or other factors do not facilitate completion of the program.

(E) The department shall collect data concerning all of the following about individuals who complete the orientation program established under this section:

(1) Participation rates;

(2) Employment outcomes;

(3) Utilization of behavioral health services;

(4) Reduction in emergency room utilization.

(F) The department shall prepare and submit a report to the general assembly in accordance with section 101.68 of the Revised Code concerning the orientation program. The report shall include the data collected by the department under division (E) of this section. Additionally, the report shall examine the effectiveness of the orientation program, the cost savings or cost neutrality of the orientation program, and any recommendations for expanding or modifying the orientation program.

(G) The medicaid director shall adopt rules in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code to implement this section.

(H)(1) In enacting this section, the general assembly makes the following findings:

(a) The Medicaid program provides critical health coverage to vulnerable populations but does not consistently equip recipients with the tools necessary to achieve long-term economic independence.

(b) Many medicaid recipients are unaware of available workforce development programs, financial literacy resources, and behavioral health services.

(c) Early engagement and education at the point of enrollment can improve health outcomes, reduce dependency, and promote upward mobility.

(2) In enacting this section, it is the intent of the general assembly to transition public assistance from a passive benefit to an active pathway towards self-sufficiency.

Section 2. This act shall be known as the Medicaid Bridge to Independence Act.