What Is a PASSPORT Assessment, and Who Conducts It?

Enrolling in PASSPORT isn't just a matter of meeting the income and asset limits — an applicant also has to be confirmed, through an in-person assessment, to need a nursing-facility level of care. That assessment is typically conducted by a trained assessor, often a registered nurse, working through the local Area Agency on Aging — for Franklin County and the surrounding counties, that's the Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging (COAAA). The assessor evaluates the applicant's ability to manage daily activities like bathing, dressing, and mobility, their medical needs, and overall safety in their current living situation, and the result feeds into a care plan if the applicant is approved. This functional test runs alongside, but is separate from, PASSPORT's financial eligibility test — see our full explanation of Medicaid and PASSPORT in Ohio. Enrollment isn't a one-time check, either: participants are reassessed periodically after enrollment to confirm the waiver still fits their current needs.