Take Action to Protect Federal Medicaid dollars for Ohio's Foster Youth!

Ohio and the IMD Exclusion

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The Family First Prevention Services Act of 2018 (FFPSA) was designed to help kids across the country reach their fullest potential by transforming prevention and intervention services for youth and their families. However, the bill includes a provision that presents a serious unintended consequence for youth in the foster care system. Congressional engagement is needed right now to help fix it.

Based on the FFPSA definition of a QRTP, guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) suggests that QRTPs over 16 beds are Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMDs). IMDs are categorically ineligible for Medicaid funding, which leaves QRTPs ineligible for Medicaid funding as well. 

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Don’t Ohio foster kids in QRTPs still have access to Medicaid?

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Yes, but the future of that funding is not guaranteed. While CMS has granted states the authority over determining if QRTPs are IMDs, the federal agency’s definition of an IMD hasn’t changed. An increasing number of states have lost access to federal Medicaid dollars for their foster kids residing in QRTPs. Some states decided to cover the lost funding with state dollars while others sacrificed beds. As an example, California has lost over 1000 QRTP beds in 2022.  

Bottom line: Because of an unintended consequence of FFPSA, Ohio Medicaid dollars for foster youth in QRTPs are still at stake, but with your help, we can correct the mistake in the law. 

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The Solution: Support Legislation Fixing the IMD Exclusion 

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The bill provides a narrowly tailored option to ensure that kids in high-quality QRTP placements have access to federal Medicaid dollars. 

Please consider taking a minute to tell Senator Sherrod Brown that all foster youth deserve access to crucial Medicaid dollars. Feel free to share this form widely with your networks. Advocacy is now just a few clicks away with our online form. Simply put your information and within seconds you will receive a drafted message ready to share. Then hit "send" and you're all done.