OSMA WEIGHS IN DURING ADDITIONAL LEGISLATIVE HEARINGS THIS WEEK

The following information was released by the Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA):

In addition to House Bill 220 and House Bill 579, OSMA is tracking numerous other issues that had committee hearings this week:

House Bill 682

Physician-Administered Drugs/ White-Bagging

OSMA submitted written proponent testimony for the second hearing of HB 682 in the House Insurance Committee this week. HB 682 is sponsored by Rep. Meredith Craig (R-Smithville) and Rep. Gayle Manning (R-Avon). OSMA expressed support for this legislation protecting patients from suffering potential treatment delays and quality risks that can result from the complex and flawed white-bagging policy requirements imposed by insurers.

White-bagging occurs when insurers require that specialty drugs be shipped directly to a health care provider from a designated specialty pharmacy, instead of allowing the provider to use drugs they have readily available in their own in-house pharmacies. It often takes place when the drug needed for a patient must be administered by a provider at a facility. For example, injectable medications or infusions, such as some treatments that may be used in oncology. Physicians treating these patients need the ability to deliver this care to patients quickly and efficiently in order to meet each patients unique needs. HB 682 is designed to better ensure safety for patients while promoting better health outcomes and saving patients from higher cost-sharing responsibilities that often come from insurer mandates.

House Bill 537

Midwives

HB 537, which seeks to regulate and license certified midwives and licensed midwives in Ohio, had its second hearing (proponent testimony) in the House Children and Human Services Committee on Wednesday. OSMA has been working on this issue for months with the sponsors, Rep. Riordan McClain (R-Upper Sandusky) and Rep. Melanie Miller (R-Ashland), and other interested parties. We continue to express concerns regarding provisions of this legislation related to the scope of practice, eligibility criteria, and license requirements for midwives under the bill. The next step in the process for HB 537 will be an opponent testimony hearing, during which OSMA will have the opportunity to present these concerns to committee members.

House Bill 561

Childhood Vaccinations

OSMA has joined the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a coalition of other healthcare organizations in opposition to HB 561, legislation which would weaken public health protections which help prevent infectious disease outbreaks. Specifically, this legislation, sponsored by Rep. Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) and Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel (R-New Waterford), would remove the hepatitis B vaccine from childcare requirements, limit the ability of schools and childcare centers to manage outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, and undermine accurate vaccination reporting. HB 561 had its second hearing (proponent testimony) in the House Health Committee on Wednesday. In response, OSMA, Ohio AAP, and the rest of the coalition are sending a letter to the committee members detailing our serious concerns with this legislation.