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MyCare Ohio, Explained

A managed care program for Ohioans eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, currently mid-restructuring.

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Short answer

A managed care program for Ohioans eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid that coordinates medical care, behavioral health, and long-term services and supports, including nursing facility and waiver services, through a single managed care plan.

Who it is for

MyCare Ohio serves people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, coordinating medical care, behavioral health, and long-term services and supports, including nursing facility and waiver services, through a single managed care plan.

Coverage area: MyCare Ohio's Northeast Ohio region covers all of Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, and Geauga counties, plus Summit and Portage counties, matching this site's full 7-county service area.
This program is actively changing. As of mid-2026, Ohio Medicaid was in the middle of a restructuring called Next Generation MyCare, with a first phase of counties transitioning effective January 1, 2026. Confirm current plan and county status directly with the Ohio Department of Medicaid before relying on program details, since this program is actively changing.

Source: Ohio Department of Medicaid: MyCare Ohio

How Cleveland families pay for care. Medicare does not cover assisted living. Ohio's long-term supports run through the Assisted Living Waiver, PASSPORT, and MyCare Ohio for dual-eligibles, none of which cover room and board in assisted living. Read the full explanation →

Questions Cleveland families ask

What is MyCare Ohio and which Cleveland-area counties does it cover?

MyCare Ohio is a managed care demonstration for Ohioans eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, coordinating medical care, behavioral health, and long-term services and supports through a single plan. Its Northeast Ohio region covers all of Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, and Geauga counties, plus Summit and Portage counties. As of mid-2026 Ohio was mid-transition on a restructuring called Next Generation MyCare, so families should confirm current plan and county status directly with the Ohio Department of Medicaid.

What are Ohio's income and asset limits for nursing home Medicaid in 2025?

As of 2025, the income limit for a single applicant is $2,901 per month, 300 percent of the SSI federal benefit rate, and the asset limit is $2,000 for a single applicant or $3,000 combined for a couple where both need care. A community spouse can keep between $31,267 and $148,620 in countable assets under the Community Spouse Resource Allowance. These figures adjust annually and should be confirmed with the Ohio Department of Medicaid or an elder law attorney.

How do I actually apply for Medicaid long-term care coverage in Ohio?

Applications go through the Ohio Department of Medicaid at benefits.ohio.gov, or families can contact the Area Agency on Aging serving their county for help with a waiver assessment and to get on any relevant waiting list. Applicants need to meet both the nursing-facility level-of-care clinical standard and the state's non-MAGI financial eligibility rules.

What is Medicaid Estate Recovery in Ohio, and can the state take my parent's house?

Ohio's Medicaid Estate Recovery Program (MERP) is a federally required program that recovers certain Medicaid long-term care payments from a deceased recipient's estate, for recipients 55 or older or of any age if permanently institutionalized. Ohio is an "expanded recovery" state, meaning assets passing outside probate, like transfer-on-death deeds or joint survivorship property, can be subject to recovery too. Recovery is delayed while a surviving spouse, minor child, or blind or disabled child lives in the home, and hardship waivers are evaluated case by case.

Does Ohio Medicaid pay for room and board in assisted living?

No. The Assisted Living Waiver pays only for personal care and supportive services delivered by the facility's staff; room and board is the resident's own responsibility, capped at the SSI federal benefit rate minus a $50 personal needs allowance. This is true across Ohio's long-term care Medicaid programs: PASSPORT and MyCare Ohio also do not cover room and board in any residential setting.

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