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The Ohio Department of Medicaid Announces Four Next Generation MyCare Plans

Client Alert

On November 1, 2024, the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) announced four managed care organizations that will become ODM’s Next Generation MyCare plans starting January 2026. MyCare Ohio is a managed care program that supports Ohioans across 29 counties enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid.

Currently, Buckeye Health Plan, CareSource, Molina HealthCare of Ohio, Aetna Better Health of Ohio, and United Healthcare Community Plan make up the MyCare plans available to plan participants. Ohioans will continue to receive coverage under the existing MyCare plans until the Next Generation MyCare plans take effect in 2026.  

ODM’s Next Generation MyCare program strives to enhance both the MyCare member and provider experience. ODM Director Maureen Corcoran shared that the Next Generation plans were selected “after more than a year of stakeholder engagement efforts that gathered patient feedback from members, family caregivers and other stakeholders across the state.”[1] She explained that these efforts helped ODM to “understand their experiences with healthcare and the associated life choices, with a focus on how to improve individual health outcomes and population wellness.”[2] As a result, ODM awarded the following plans to serve MyCare members starting in 2026:

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
  • Buckeye Health Plan
  • CareSource
  • Molina HealthCare of Ohio

Members currently enrolled in Aetna Better Health of Ohio or United Healthcare Community Plan will be required to select a new plan from the list of Next Generation MyCare plans. ODM will provide these members with enrollment information before their coverage lapses in January 2026.

For MyCare members currently enrolled in Buckeye Health Plan, CareSource, or Molina Healthcare of Ohio, no action is required for those who would like to continue with their existing plan. However, they may elect to change their coverage to a different Next Generation plan.

The newly selected plans promote the program’s goals of:

  • Focusing on the individual
  • Improving individual and population wellness and health outcomes
  • Creating a personalized care experience
  • Supporting providers in continuously improving car
  • Improving care for individuals with complex needs to promote independence in the community
  • Increasing program transparency and accountability

ODM stated that statewide expansion of the program is expected to follow the transition to the Next Generation MyCare plans.

If you have questions about the Next Generation MyCare program, please contact BMD Healthcare Member Daphne Kackloudis at dlkackloudis@bmdllc.com or Attorney Kate Crawford at khcrawford@bmdllc.com.


[1] Ohio Medicaid Announces MyCare Ohio Plans Chosen to Serve Ohioans in Next Generation Program, Ohio Dept. of Medicaid (Nov. 1, 2024), https://medicaid.ohio.gov/news/press-release/odm-nextgen-mycare-ohio-plans.

[2] Id.


Ohio Senate Bill 49 – Ohio Expands Lien Rights for Design Professionals

Effective September 30, 2021, Ohio granted limited lien rights to design professionals, including architects, landscape architects, engineers, and surveyors. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 49 into law on July 1, 2021. This new law established a statutory right to lien commercial real estate by Ohio design professionals who, until now, could not file a lien for non-payment of professional services. Senator Vernon Sykes, a primary sponsor of Senate Bill 49, stated that the “legislation ensures that architects, engineers and other designers will get paid for their work, regardless of the outcome of their projects . . . It will support hardworking Ohioans by protecting the value of their labor . . ..”

Primary Care Practice Officially Defined in Florida for APRNs Practicing Autonomously

As many providers in Florida are aware, House Bill 607 (the “Bill”), which was passed in February of last year, gives certain APRNs in Florida the ability to practice autonomously. The only catch is that they must work in primary practice. When the Bill was initially passed, there was question as to what was exactly considered primary care, absent a definition from the Florida Board of Nursing. However, as of February 25, 2021, “primary care practice” has officially been defined.

Part II of the No Surprises Act

The Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”) published Part II of the No Surprises Act on September 30, 2021, which will take effect on January 1, 2022. The new guidance, in large part, focuses on the independent dispute resolution process that was briefly mentioned in Part I of the Act. In addition, there is now guidance on good faith estimate requirements, the patient-provider dispute resolution processes, and added external review provisions.

Safer Federal Workforce Task Force - Guidance for Federal Contractors and Subcontractors

The Safer Federal Workforce Task Force has issued its Guidance for Federal Contractors and Subcontractors (Guidance). Note that the Guidance applies only to “covered contracts,” which are contracts that include the clause (Clause) set forth in Sec. 2(a) of Executive Order 14042 (Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors). The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FARC) is to conduct rulemaking and take related action to ensure that the Clause is incorporated into federal contracts. Until that happens, federal contractors likely will not see the Clause in its contracts. Following is a broad summary of the Guidance.

Banking & Cannabis: The Next Frontier Webinar

On Tuesday, September 21st, BMD’s own Banking and Cannabis Partner, Stephen Lenn, hosted a star-studded cast of panelists in a webinar titled Banking & Cannabis: Cannabis Lending, The Next Frontier. The webinar, which had to suspend registrations when hitting a maximum cap of 500, aimed to explore issues related to cannabis and banking, with a particular emphasis on lending. With the sponsorship and support of the Bankers Associations of Arizona, Colorado, Ohio and Utah, Steve was able to recruit an elite group of bankers, bank regulators, cannabis industry players, and cannabis regulators, who took the topic head on. The discussion kicked off with an opening from the keynote speaker, VP of Congressional Affairs for the American Bankers Association, Tanner Daniel.