Trendline Health | OH Pulse | 2026 | Issue 14
Policy & Regulation
Medicaid cuts threaten 9 Ohio hospitals with closure or service reductions
A Public Citizen report flags nine Ohio hospitals—many rural Critical Access or Sole Community facilities like Coshocton Regional Medical Center, Mary Rutan Hospital, and several Cleveland Clinic sites—as high-risk due to heavy Medicaid reliance and recent losses. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed last July, slashes $911 billion in federal Medicaid and CHIP spending over a decade. Ohio’s six at-risk hospitals sit in Republican districts; three fall in Rep. Shontel Brown’s district. Rural communities with higher poverty could face dire access gaps despite the law’s $50 billion Rural Health Fund.
Tiffin OhioUp to 356,000 Ohioans projected to lose Medicaid coverage under new Trump spending law
Work requirements and six-month redeterminations in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could strip coverage from as many as 356,000 Ohioans by 2028, per Urban Institute modeling—roughly half the 2014 ACA expansion population. Another 113,000 already dropped ACA plans after enhanced tax credits expired. Most affected individuals work, attend school, or manage caregiving/health issues; self-employed and older adults face steep verification hurdles. Arkansas’s 2018 experiment showed coverage drops without employment gains.
Ohio Capital JournalOhio Medicaid launches Phase 2 of Next Generation MyCare Ohio
Starting April 1, the program expands to 10 more counties including Ashtabula, Defiance, Erie, and Licking, bringing coordinated Medicare-Medicaid benefits to additional dual-eligible Ohioans. Four health plans now deliver person-centered care with enhanced behavioral health, transportation, mobility supports, and community-based long-term services. Statewide rollout continues through 2026; Buckeye Health Plan sits out new enrollments. Goal: slash administrative burden and improve outcomes for over 250,000 members.
Ohio Department of Medicaid
Growth & Finance
Trinity Hospital in Steubenville pays $1.7M to settle alleged Stark Law violations
Trinity Hospital Holding Company agreed to pay $1.7 million to resolve claims it maintained improper rental arrangements with two referring physicians from 2014–2020 that exceeded fair market value. The self-disclosed settlement credits the system’s cooperation, independent investigation, and prompt remediation. No admission of liability. The case underscores ongoing federal scrutiny of financial relationships that could improperly influence referrals.
Innovation & Tech
University Hospitals earns 2026 Innovation in Regulatory & Compliance Award
University Hospitals won RLDatix’s top compliance honor at the Connected Healthcare Summit in Nashville for integrating policies, regulatory standards, audit data, and clinical content into one accessible system. The move streamlines compliance, boosts documentation quality, and supports safer, more consistent care.
“Elevating compliance is essential to advancing safety, care quality, and better outcomes for every patient we serve.” ~Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD, Chief Quality & Clinical Transformation Officer
Workforce & Leadership
Ohio State Wexner Medical Center reports strong gains in workplace safety
Targeted efforts—including de-escalation training for over 1,100 team members, expanded Behavioral Emergency Response Team deployments (994 in six months), patient behavior flags, and weapons detection screening—delivered results. Clinical support calls and incidents dropped 25% since 2021 despite system growth; most calls remain precautionary. Nearly 1 million ED screenings and 1.2 million public entrance screenings show 97–99.8% clear rates.
“These results show what is possible when we all share the responsibility of workplace safety.” ~Elizabeth Seely, Chief Administrative Officer and Workplace Safety Steering Committee co-chair
Ohio State Wexner Medical Center
Sources: Curated from Ohio Capital Journal, Tiffin Ohio, Ohio Department of Medicaid, U.S. Department of Justice, University Hospitals, Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, and related reporting (April 2026).
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