State profile — Tier 2

Ohio

Ohio has 86,000+ home care aides with ∼50% PCA turnover and wages near ∼$15–16/hr. ORC 4111.03 incorporates FLSA exemptions, but the constitutional minimum wage amendment (Art. 2, Sec. 34a) may provide broader OT protections per Haight v. Cheap Escape. No DWBOR (SB 14 pending). PASSPORT and MyCare Ohio serve 93.3% of LTSS users in community settings. Independent home care workers lost collective bargaining rights in 2015.

86K+
Home care workers in Ohio's care industry
∼$15–16
Estimated median hourly wage (below national $16.78)
∼50%
PCA annual turnover rate (OH-specific)
93.3%
HCBS share of LTSS users (2023; top tier)
Category 1

The Economic Reality

# Metric Ohio Status
1.1BLS median hourly wage (SOC 31-1120)∼$15–$16/hrEstimated
1.2PHI median hourly wage (all DCW, ACS)TBDGap
1.3Median annual earnings (DCW)TBDGap
1.4MIT living wage (1 adult, 0 children)∼$17–$18/hrProxy
1.5Wage gap (living wage minus BLS median)∼$1–$3/hr below living wageEstimated
1.6State minimum wage (2026)$11.00/hr (eff. Jan 2026)Public
1.7Local minimum wage (highest city)N/APublic
1.8Low-income household rate (<200% FPL)TBDGap
1.9Public assistance reliance (state-specific)44% receive public assistance (OH-specific)Public
1.10Housing cost-burdened rateTBDGap
1.11Uninsured rate (DCW)Yes (expanded 2014)Public
1.12PHI Overall State Index rankingTBDGap
1.13Wage competitiveness vs. similar jobsTBDGap
1.14Genworth median home health aide rateTBDGap
1.15Genworth median NF semi-private rateTBDGap
1.16Family Care capitation PMPM (NH LOC)TBDGap
1.17Blended HCBS avg cost (all acuity)TBDGap
1.18NF private pay monthly avgTBDGap
1.19HCBS-to-NF cost ratio (state-specific)TBDGap
1.20Exemption aggregate savings (national est.)$500-700M/yr (∼0.2% of HCBS)Estimated
1.21Per-worker OT loss (50hr/wk worker)TBDGap
Category 2

The Workforce Crisis

# Metric Ohio Status
2.1Headline caregiver vacancy rateTBDGap
2.2Open caregiver positionsTBDGap
2.3Available job seekers (entire labor market)TBDGap
2.4Annual turnover rate∼50% PCA / ∼25% HHA (OH-specific)Public
2.5Individuals denied/delayed servicesTBDGap
2.6Agencies unable to staff all hoursTBDGap
2.7Nursing homes closed since 2016TBDGap
2.8NF beds empty due to staffingTBDGap
2.9Total direct care workers86,000+ (Policy Matters Ohio)Public
2.10New jobs projected (2022–2032)TBDGap
2.11Total openings incl. separations (2022–2032)TBDGap
2.12Population 75+ growth projectionTBDGap
2.13Workforce demographics: % women∼85% (national proxy)Proxy
2.14Workforce demographics: % people of colorTBDGap
2.15Workforce demographics: % immigrantsTBDGap
2.16Health insurance offered by agenciesTBDGap
2.17Family caregivers providing 80%+ of all careTBDGap
2.18Unpaid caregiver hours/economic valueTBDGap
Category 3

Legal & Policy Framework

# Metric Ohio Status
3.1State companionship/OT exemption statusORC 4111.03 incorporates FLSA exemptions, but Art. 2, Sec. 34a may override per Haight v. Cheap Escape (2014)Public
3.2State overtime threshold40 hrs/wk (federal FLSA; state constitutional issue unresolved)Public
3.3Domestic Workers Bill of RightsNo DWBOR; SB 14 (136th GA) pending — would create domestic worker standards + bargaining feasibility studyPublic
3.4Paid sick leave lawTBDGap
3.5Paid family/medical leaveNo state paid family/medical leavePublic
3.6Primary self-directed Medicaid programPASSPORT waiver (Age 60+) + MyCare Ohio (dual-eligibles)Public
3.7Self-directed program enrollment∼33,000 PASSPORT slots; possible waitlistPublic
3.8Primary managed LTC programMandatory managed care for dual-eligibles (MyCare); 4 MCOs: Anthem, CareSource, Molina, BuckeyePublic
3.9Managed LTC enrollmentTBDGap
3.10Combined HCBS enrollmentTBDGap
3.11HCBS share of LTSS spending93.3% of LTSS users in HCBS (2023; top tier nationally)Public
3.12HCBS waiting lists statusTBDGap
3.13Spouses as paid Medicaid caregiversYes (C-HCAS + CD-PCS within PASSPORT; family members incl. spouses can be hired)Public
3.14Parents of minors as paid caregiversYes (Choices HCAS — participant sets hourly rate within budget)Public
3.15COVID family caregiver relaxations permanent?SB 14 (DWBOR pending); HB 34 (min wage increase pending); Next Gen MyCare rollout 2026Pending
3.16SDPC maximum wage (self-directed)TBDGap
3.17OT rate cap in self-directed programsTBDGap
3.18IRIS/SDPC weekly hour capTBDGap
3.19Minimum fee schedule for HCBSTBDGap
3.20Wage pass-through requirementUp to 12% of home care workers work 40+ hrs/wk without OT (Policy Matters OH)Public
3.21MCO contract wage floor provisionsTBDGap
3.22Union representation (home care workers)Independent home care workers lost bargaining rights in 2015 (Kasich EO); SEIU 1199 represents ∼25K state employees but not independent home carePublic
Category 4

The Geographic Divide

# Metric Ohio Status
4.1Travel time/mileage reimbursement mandateTBDGap
4.2Caregiver-to-senior ratio by countyNOT COMPILEDFOIA
4.3Counties with zero/limited home care agenciesNOT COMPILEDFOIA
4.4Rural broadband coverage (for EVV compliance)TBDGap
4.5EVV system & vendorTBDGap
4.6EVV offline/low-connectivity accommodationTBDGap
4.7EVV hard launch date (personal care)TBDGap
4.8Rural vs. urban NF admission ratesNOT COMPILEDFOIA
4.9Rural nursing home closures since 2016TBDGap
4.10Rural HCBS alternatives (adult day, ALF)TBDGap
4.11Projected NF bed shortage (statewide)TBDGap
Category 5

State Medicaid Toolkit & Reform Levers

# Metric Ohio Status
5.1Medicaid rate-setting authority modelPASSPORT + MyCare Ohio (Next Gen launching 2026) + Ohio Home Care + Individual Options waiversPublic
5.2Minimum fee schedule exists?TBDGap
5.3Fee schedule codified in statute or budget?TBDGap
5.4Wage pass-through % requirementTBDGap
5.5State-level 80/20 compensation rule?No (federal CMS rule faces rescission)Public
5.6MCO contract cycle & next renewalNo wage pass-through requirementPublic
5.7MCO workforce adequacy reporting required?TBDGap
5.8IRIS IBA formula inputs reflect market wages?TBDGap
5.9Premium pay structure for extended hours?Structured Family Caregiving: up to $392/wk ($1,680/mo) tax-free stipendPublic
5.10State domestic service OT exemption statusComplex — ORC incorporates FLSA exemptions but constitutional amendment may override (Haight)Public
5.11Legislative path to eliminate state OT exemption?Haight precedent creates potential state constitutional OT floor; needs higher court resolutionAnalysis
5.12Federal Medicaid loss projection (10yr)TBDGap
5.13Annual new cost to state taxpayersTBDGap
5.14State-directed payment limit impact (eff. 2028)110% Medicare cap; exact impact TBDPending
5.15Provider tax moratorium statusTBDGap
5.16NF staffing rule moratorium (10yr)Applies (est. 13,000 add'l deaths/yr nationally)Public
5.17Work requirements effective dateDec 31, 2026 (childless adults)Public
Category 6

Federal FLSA & Companionship Exemption Status

# Metric Ohio Status
6.12013 DOL rule status (as of March 2026)Technically in effect; enforcement suspended July 25, 2025 (FAB 2025-4)Public
6.2Proposed rescission rule published?Yes — July 2, 2025 (90 FR 28976)Public
6.3Final rescission rule published?No (as of March 2026)Monitor
6.4Chevron deference statusEliminated — Loper Bright v. Raimondo (2024)Public
6.5Private litigation still viable?Yes — 2013 rule provisions still invocable by private partiesPublic
6.6DOL estimated annual transfer (2013 RIA).8M (medium scenario, 7% discount)Public
6.7Adjusted current estimate-700M annuallyEstimated
6.8GAO post-implementation findingHour caps, not cost absorption; pay did not increase; workforce declined 11.6%Public
6.9Familial caregiver % in self-directed programs50-78% nationally; CA IHSS >70%Public
6.10Disparate impact demographics85% female; 67% POC; 27% Black; 26% HispanicPublic
6.11CMS 80/20 Access Rule statusFinalized May 2024; faces likely rescission/non-enforcementPublic

Data sourcing

Every metric links to its primary source. Public = publicly available. Derived = calculated from public sources. Proxy = proxy or imprecise. Estimated = estimated value. FOIA = requires FOIA request. Partial = partially available. Gap = data not available. Full methodology and source registry available on the Methodology page.