More than 60% of mentally ill patients admitted to nursing homes do not require that level of skilled care, according to an investigation by the Ohio Department of Mental Health.

In some cases Ohio nursing homes use a Medicaid loophole to accept hundreds of mentally ill patients discharged from hospital psychiatric wards, according to a Plain Dealer newspaper report on the investigation. State officials estimate that the Medicaid program has spent $1 million to $2.5 million on improper placements since 2006.

Efforts are underway to crack down on abuses in the state¹s Medicaid program, according to officials.