Staff Reports
Ohio just got a harsh reminder that big government programs are magnets for waste and fraud. A new investigation this week exposed an odd cluster of Medicaid “home health” companies billed out of a handful of largely empty office buildings in Columbus. The story has already prompted state and federal officials to take a closer look — and they should move fast.
What the new investigation found
Reporters uncovered 288 Medicaid‑registered home‑health companies operating out of seven office buildings along East Dublin‑Granville Road in northeast Columbus. Those firms billed roughly a quarter‑billion dollars to Medicaid from 2018 through 2024. Even more disturbing: a huge share of Ohio’s home‑health spending is crowded into two ZIP codes, 43229 and 43231, inside Franklin County. That county accounted for nearly 40 percent of the state’s home‑health outlays while making up about 11.5 percent of Ohio’s population. Office suites with no real staff, claims for “companionship” and “homemaking” that are almost impossible to verify — it looks like someone found a business model that treats taxpayer money like a self‑serve buffet.
Official reaction and why it matters
Auditor of State Keith Faber has already raised alarms. His office’s single‑audit sampling showed a 15.6% error rate in Medicaid eligibility testing — a figure Faber warned could, if you extrapolate it, point to hundreds of millions or even billions in questionable costs. Ohio Medicaid says it’s investigating, and Vice President J.D. Vance has ordered the federal Fraud Task Force to review the reporting and pursue prosecutions if warranted. That kind of rapid attention is good. What’s not good is waiting around for yet another report while money keeps flowing out the door.
EVV loopholes and the need for real verification
One reason this problem has room to grow is verification policy. Ohio’s Electronic Visit Verification system exists, but GPS tracking requires patient consent. In other words, the tool meant to check whether a caregiver actually showed up can be turned off by paperwork. That’s a loophole, plain and simple. Past compliance audits by the Auditor’s Office have already found millions in improper payments at individual providers. The remedy is simple: tighten EVV rules, require stronger proof of service, and stop payments when red flags pop up. If the government won’t put real checks in place, then it can’t complain when scammers take advantage.
Let’s be clear: uncovering fraud is about rooting out criminal behavior and protecting taxpayers, not about scapegoating entire communities. Some prior cases mentioned individuals of Somali background, but that is separate from this new cluster story and does not justify broad assumptions. The job now is to follow the evidence, freeze suspicious payments, and prosecute wrongdoers. Ohioans deserve that much — and a government that spends their money like it matters. If officials want to restore trust, they’ll stop grandstanding and start acting.
