Governor John Kasich’s Office of Health Transformation (OHT) released important findings to Ohio’s Senate Finance Committee on the pending, biennial Medicaid budget on May 10.  The findings include analyses of Ohio versus national data on infant mortality, cancer deaths, preventable hospital admissions, hospital readmissions, and emergency room visits. These are accompanied by financial analyses on various segments of Ohio versus national health care spending, such as institutional versus non-institutional long term care.   The data show that Ohio ranks 42nd nationally on overall health outcomes while it ranks among the top states nationally on per capita institutional long term care spending. The data support Ohio budget recommendations designed to achieve improvements in primary care and service coordination; better integration of behavioral and physical health care; improved access to home and community-based services; reforms in Medicaid payment methods; and potential, significant reductions in Medicaid institutional long term care spending.