Ohio Medicare Savings Program Authorized Representative: Managing a Parent's Application

When You Need to Act on a Parent's Behalf

Many adult children managing a parent's Medicare Savings Program application don't live in Ohio. Some live across the state. Others live across the country. Either way, to receive confidential case information or notices from county JFS, you need a written authorized-representative designation.

Your parent can still have you help complete an application without designating you, but JFS generally cannot share confidential case details or send you correspondence without a written designation. Getting it in place before you file the application saves weeks of back-and-forth.

Form ODM 06723: The Designation of Authorized Representative

The primary standalone form for establishing representative authority is Form ODM 06723 (Designation of Authorized Representative). Your parent and you sign it, selecting the actions the county can authorize you to take.

You can also establish the designation through Appendix C of Form ODM 07216, the main application for health coverage. If your parent is filling out the full application anyway, completing Appendix C at the same time is the simplest path — it covers representative authority as part of the application itself.

The written designation is specific to Ohio Medicaid and the county JFS system. Depending on the authority selected, you can help with the application or renewal, submit verifications, receive and respond to correspondence, discuss financial and medical information, or represent your parent at a state hearing. To authorize protected health information disclosure, complete Section 2 of Appendix C with Form ODM 07216 or include Form ODM 10221 with standalone Form ODM 06723.

What the ODM Designation Does Not Cover

An Ohio Medicaid authorized representative designation does not extend to the Social Security Administration. To represent someone in a claim or other pending issue before SSA, use Form SSA-1696 (Claimant's Appointment of a Representative).

This matters because the Medicare Savings Program involves both agencies. Your county JFS handles the MSP eligibility determination, but SSA handles the Part B premium deduction, the buy-in processing, and Extra Help enrollment. If you need to call SSA about why the Part B premium is still being deducted three months after approval, you need SSA authorization too.

Similarly, the ODM designation is not a power of attorney. It doesn't give you authority over bank accounts, medical decisions, or legal matters outside the Medicaid application.

Using Power of Attorney

If your parent already has a durable power of attorney (financial POA) naming you as agent, and its scope authorizes you to act on the Medicaid application, submit a copy with the application as proof of your legal authority. The ODM 07216 instructions say legally appointed representatives should include proof of their authority with the application.

For many out-of-state caregivers, a durable financial POA is the better option anyway — if its scope grants the necessary authority, it can cover the Medicaid application, banking, insurance matters, and other financial management in a single document. If your parent doesn't have a POA yet, getting one in place before the MSP application process is worth the effort.

The ODM 07216 instructions require a legally appointed representative to submit proof with the application. Don't assume a verbal claim of POA status is enough — include a copy of the executed document.

Managing the Application from Out of State

Once your representative designation is on file, you can handle most of the application remotely:

Online: Create your own Ohio Benefits account and link it to your parent's case as their representative. Never share your parent's login credentials — the system tracks who accesses which cases, and shared credentials can trigger security flags.

By phone: Call the county JFS office and reference your representative status. Have your parent's case number and your own identifying information ready.

By mail or fax: Submit verification documents — bank statements, Social Security benefit letters, pension statements — directly to the county CDJFS, noting the case number on every page.

Form ODM 07216 must be signed. The applicant should sign; an authorized representative may sign if the applicant completed Appendix C. If you act under POA or guardianship, include proof of that legal authority with the application. If your parent can sign, have them sign before you mail or fax it.

Our Ohio Medicare Savings Programs guide includes the complete representative setup process, a checklist of what each form covers, and strategies for out-of-state caregivers managing the entire application by phone and mail.

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