Lately it seems that the terms “common sense” and “government” haven’t gone too well together, but that may be changing in Ohio as far as Medicaid and Medicare coordination goes.

Gov. John Kasich has reached an agreement with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on a new initiative to better coordinate care for individuals eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Ohio is just the third state to take this approach.

Up to this point, the state and federal health care programs have virtually no connection.

There are 180,000 dually eligible individuals that comprise 14 percent of Medicaid enrollment, but these individuals account for 40 percent of the state’s total Medicaid spending.

The goal is to provide better health care coverage, get better patient outcomes and spend tax dollars more effectively.

“This agreement puts Ohio at the cutting edge of care coordination in the country,” Kasich said. “Better care coordination across the state means healthier Ohioans, and it will also help in driving down costs in the long run.”

It won’t be easy but this is certainly a worthy undertaking that can ultimately save lives and money.