Ohio Law Mandates SNAP Chip Cards and Sweeping Medicaid Anti-Fraud Overhaul
Senate Bill 315 took effect Tuesday alongside 12 other measures, adding electronic visit verification rules, subpoena powers and criminal penalties up to first-degree felonies.
Ohio Senate Bill 315 took effect Tuesday, Oct. 6, mandating microchip technology for food assistance cards and establishing expansive enforcement powers to target fraud in Ohio's Medicaid program. Gov. Mike DeWine signed the legislation into law on July 7 as part of a batch of 13 bills enacted by the 136th General Assembly that took effect across the state following the expiration of Ohio's standard 90-day post-signing period. While several initial news summaries and legislative previews omitted the measure, the enactment marks one of Ohio's broadest program integrity packages this year.
Previously, Pique reported on Oct. 6 that Ohio Schools Must Teach 'Success Sequence' as Senate Bill 276 Takes Effect, another measure enacted in the same 13-bill slate that took effect Tuesday.
Legislative Path and SNAP Protections
Originally introduced as a targeted measure to protect food benefits, SB 315 required the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to equip new and replacement Electronic Benefit Transfer cards with chip-enabled capability and allocated $3 million to fund the transition. Co-sponsor Sen. Hearcel Craig, a Columbus Democrat, said the security upgrade is intended to combat skimming devices that steal benefits from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients.
"The original goal of this legislation was to improve the security of SNAP EBT food cards and reduce fraud, so that benefits are used by families in crisis, not manipulated and stolen by criminals," said co-sponsor Sen. Tim Schaffer, a Lancaster Republican. On June 10, 2026, the General Assembly passed a heavily amended version of SB 315 after House lawmakers incorporated sweeping Medicaid fraud provisions drawn from House Bill 795, passing the measure 85-10 before the Senate concurred unanimously.
Medicaid Verification and Family Caregiver Rules
The statute establishes strict conditions for in-home health care reimbursement, mandating electronic visit verification requiring providers to clock in and out at the service location. High-risk providers can also be required to utilize fingerprint scanning, facial recognition, vocal recognition or secure identification numbers before receiving payment. To protect patient access, lawmakers adjusted early proposals: the final bill exempts live-in family caregivers from EVV GPS tracking requirements and removed a controversial proposed ban on paying family members who provide personal care services to relatives under Medicaid waivers.
Before enrolling new providers for home and community-based services, the Ohio Department of Medicaid must conduct in-person inspections of entities or individual reviews. The law also requires prior authorization for all therapeutic behavioral health services under Medicaid.
Enforcement Subpoenas and Felony Penalties
To accelerate fraud investigations, SB 315 formally authorizes the Ohio Attorney General and the Auditor of State to issue subpoenas. The Ohio Department of Medicaid is now required to suspend payments and conduct prepayment claim reviews upon receiving a credible allegation of fraud from either office. The statute defines credible allegations broadly to encompass falsified check-ins, forged paperwork, double billing, impossible travel logs and coordinated billing rings.
Criminal penalties for Medicaid fraud have also been heightened. Rather than facing misdemeanor charges, offenders now face felony penalties ranging from the fifth degree up to first-degree felony charges and fines of $150,000 for fraud exceeding $750,000. The statute also designates Medicaid fraud as a predicate offense under Ohio's corrupt activity laws, enabling prosecutors to pursue organized criminal enterprises.
Whistleblower Protections and Claims Database
The law adds statutory shields for health care workers, prohibiting employer retaliation against employees who make good-faith reports of suspected Medicaid fraud. Workers subjected to retaliation may file civil lawsuits seeking reinstatement with back pay and attorney fees.
SB 315 also directs long-term transparency measures. Under the law, the Ohio Department of Insurance must establish an all-payer claims database, with health insurers, Medicaid managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers and Medicare programs required to submit claims data starting in 2028.
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The sources and records behind this story, with the facts they support.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/ohio-laws-taking-effect-tuesday-093000091.html
Supporting evidence (2)
Mike DeWine signed the legislation into law on July 7 as part of a batch of 13 bills enacted by the 136th General Assembly that took effect across the state following the expiration of Ohio's standard 90-day post-signing period.
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Gov. Mike DeWine signed 13 bills on July 7, all of which have an effective date of Tuesday, Oct. 6, according to the Ohio Legislature's website.
Hearcel Craig, a Columbus Democrat, said the security upgrade is intended to combat skimming devices that steal benefits from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program recipients.
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Co-sponsor Sen. Hearcel F. Craig (D-Columbus) said the security technology is intended to combat SNAP theft, in which criminals use skimming devices to steal benefits from recipients.
Supporting evidence (3)
Mike DeWine signed the legislation into law on July 7 as part of a batch of 13 bills enacted by the 136th General Assembly that took effect across the state following the expiration of Ohio's standard 90-day post-signing period.
Read supporting passage
The Ohio Senate 136th General Assembly
Originally introduced as a targeted measure to protect food benefits, SB 315 required the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to equip new and replacement Electronic Benefit Transfer cards with chip-enabled capability and allocated $3 million to fund the transition.
Read supporting passage
Upon introduction, SB 315 required the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) provide chip enabled capability for all new and replacement EBT cards used to provide benefits for SNAP, allocating $3 million to support the transition.
"The original goal of this legislation was to improve the security of SNAP EBT food cards and reduce fraud, so that benefits are used by families in crisis, not manipulated and stolen by criminals," said co-sponsor Sen.
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“The original goal of this legislation was to improve the security of SNAP EBT food cards and reduce fraud, so that benefits are used by families in crisis, not manipulated and stolen by criminals,” Schaffer said.
Ohio Schools Must Teach 'Success Sequence' as Senate Bill 276 Takes Effect
Supporting evidence (1)
Previously, Pique reported on Oct. 6 that Ohio Schools Must Teach 'Success Sequence' as Senate Bill 276 Takes Effect, another measure enacted in the same 13-bill slate that took effect Tuesday.
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Ohio Schools Must Teach 'Success Sequence' as Senate Bill 276 Takes Effect
Supporting evidence (11)
On June 10, 2026, the General Assembly passed a heavily amended version of SB 315 after House lawmakers incorporated sweeping Medicaid fraud provisions drawn from House Bill 795, passing the measure 85-10 before the Senate concurred unanimously.
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On June 10, 2026, the Ohio General Assembly passed a significantly revised version of Senate Bill 315 (SB 315), originally a bill addressing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) card security, which was amended to incorporate sweeping Medicaid fraud reforms drawn from House Bill 795. The legislation passed the House by a vote of 85-10 and received unanimous concurrence in the Senate.
The statute establishes strict conditions for in-home health care reimbursement, mandating electronic visit verification requiring providers to clock in and out at the service location.
Read supporting passage
SB 315 mandates electronic visit verification (EVV) as a condition of payment for in-home care services, requiring providers to clock in and out at the location where services are being provided.
To protect patient access, lawmakers adjusted early proposals: the final bill exempts live-in family caregivers from EVV GPS tracking requirements and removed a controversial proposed ban on paying family members who provide personal care services to relatives under Medicaid waivers.
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Notably, the final version of the bill exempts live-in family caregivers from EVV GPS tracking requirements, a significant departure from earlier versions that would have imposed those requirements on all caregivers, including family members.
To protect patient access, lawmakers adjusted early proposals: the final bill exempts live-in family caregivers from EVV GPS tracking requirements and removed a controversial proposed ban on paying family members who provide personal care services to relatives under Medicaid waivers.
Read supporting passage
The final version of the bill removes a particularly controversial provision that appeared in earlier drafts of the legislation—a ban on family members being paid to provide personal care services to their own relatives on Medicaid waivers.
The law also requires prior authorization for all therapeutic behavioral health services under Medicaid.
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All therapeutic behavioral health services now require prior authorization under SB 315.
To accelerate fraud investigations, SB 315 formally authorizes the Ohio Attorney General and the Auditor of State to issue subpoenas.
Read supporting passage
The bill also authorizes the attorney general and auditor of state to issue subpoenas in Medicaid investigations.
The Ohio Department of Medicaid is now required to suspend payments and conduct prepayment claim reviews upon receiving a credible allegation of fraud from either office.
Read supporting passage
ODM is now required to suspend payment and require prepayment review of claims when the attorney general or auditor of state submits a credible allegation of fraud. The bill defines “credible allegation of fraud” broadly to include conduct such as falsified or fake check-ins, forged paperwork, double billing, identity misuses, impossible travel patterns, overlap with hospital claims, and coordinated billing rings.
Rather than facing misdemeanor charges, offenders now face felony penalties ranging from the fifth degree up to first-degree felony charges and fines of $150,000 for fraud exceeding $750,000.
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Under the new law, Medicaid fraud is upgraded from a first-degree misdemeanor to a fifth-degree felony at a minimum, with penalties escalating based on the value of the fraudulent conduct, up to a first-degree felony charge and a $150,000 fine when the fraud exceeds $750,000 in value.
The statute also designates Medicaid fraud as a predicate offense under Ohio's corrupt activity laws, enabling prosecutors to pursue organized criminal enterprises.
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Additionally, Medicaid fraud is now designated as a predicate offense under Ohio’s corrupt activity (RICO-style) statutes, giving prosecutors additional tools to pursue coordinated fraud networks.
The law adds statutory shields for health care workers, prohibiting employer retaliation against employees who make good-faith reports of suspected Medicaid fraud.
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The legislation includes new protections for employees who report suspected Medicaid fraud. Employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees who make good-faith reports of fraud based on a reasonable belief. Employees who experience retaliation are authorized to sue for reinstatement with back pay and reasonable attorney fees.
Under the law, the Ohio Department of Insurance must establish an all-payer claims database, with health insurers, Medicaid managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit managers and Medicare programs required to submit claims data starting in 2028.
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The Ohio Department of Insurance is required to create an all-payer claims database. Health plans, MCOs, pharmacy benefit managers, and Medicare and Medicaid programs will be required to submit claims to the database, with the submission requirement taking effect in 2028.
Supporting evidence (2)
High-risk providers can also be required to utilize fingerprint scanning, facial recognition, vocal recognition or secure identification numbers before receiving payment.
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Requires high-risk providers to utilize fingerprint scanning, facial recognition, vocal recognition, a secure personal identification number, or other approved verification method as a condition of receiving payment.
Before enrolling new providers for home and community-based services, the Ohio Department of Medicaid must conduct in-person inspections of entities or individual reviews.
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Delivers transparency within the provider enrollment process by requiring the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) to conduct in-person inspections before approving any new providers for home and community-based care.