LEGISLATIVE REPORT

ACOG, OHIO SECTION

MAY, 26, 2009

CAROLE J. ROGERS

STATE BUDGET UPDATE:

The Ohio House passed its version of the budget at the end of April and it is now had several hearings before the Senate Finance Committee.  The good news is that the House version of the budget included all the funding requests and additional language supported by ACOG, Ohio Section.  There were no cuts in Medicaid reimbursements for physician services; the language requiring managed care health plans to adhere to Ohio’s 30 day prompt pay law was included; the pharmacy carve out from managed care health plans remains intact; and there were no cuts to the women’s health care programs at the Ohio Department of Health (ODH).

 Although, there is compromise language that is more favorable to the Ohio State Medical Board than the executive budget consolidation proposal, the medical board still favors language requiring no consolidation and ACOG, Ohio Section will support this position in the Senate version of the budget.

The bad news is all financial.  The current proposed $54 billion budget has another financial shortfall of almost $1billion just to balance the current budget by the end of June 30 as required by the state constitution.  The estimate is that another $2 billion or possibly $3 billion will have to be cut from the budget for FY 2010-FY 2011.  The Senate is expected to pass out their version of the budget at the end of the month. So now all programs are in jeopardy and on the table to be cut.  The next step is a Conference Committee composed of a small number of Democrats and Republicans from the House and Senate who will negotiate the final version of the budget.

STATEHOUE DAY/LOBBY DAY 2009

ACOG, Ohio Section had a successful lobby day on April 22 with 20 physicians from around the state meeting with their Representatives and Senators to talk about state budget issues and an emerging issue of licensing lay midwives.  It was especially satisfying to have so many new ACOG Fellows and Junior Fellows join us for the day.  I have followed up on all appointments and can report that the representatives and senators you talked with were impressed with your knowledge and were appreciative of your coming to Columbus to talk with them.  It certainly was instrumental in our success for ACOG agenda items in the budget.

ACOG, OHIO SECTION ACTION/LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

The budget has dominated all action in the House and the Senate and will likely continue to do so until the budget passes on June 30.  As a result other legislative action on bills have proceeded slowly.  I have spent the last two weeks primarily in the Senate, following up with appointments with aides of Senate Finance Committee members.  These meetings were followed by an email memo to all members of the Senate on our agenda items and then the memo with enclosure summaries and fact sheets was delivered personally to their offices. I have continued my meetings with all freshman members and have now met with 36 of the 40 new members.

LAY MIDWIFE ISSUE

I have appointments pending with key members of the House on the nurse midwife issue and will send out a brief message this week to all House Democrats asking them not to sign on to any lay midwife bill until we have had the opportunity to talk with them about this issue. The lay midwives had a lobby day approximately two weeks ago and did have legislators who spoke at their news conference and rally.

I have met with key stakeholders to discuss this issue, lobbying strategy, and cooperative coalition efforts.  This includes conversations with the Ohio Nursing Association; the Advance Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives; OSMA; the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians; the Osteopathic Association and the Ohio Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics. We anticipate a bill will be introduced this month so watch for your ACTION ALERTS on this issue.

H.B. 102  BLOOD CORD DONATION

ACOG, Ohio Section is in active negotiation with Rep. Todd Book, the sponsor of this bill.  We are working to ensure that health care professionals will be “encouraged” not mandated to give out information on blood cord donation to pregnant women and that the information will be provided to health care professionals at no cost.  We are also working to tighten and strengthen the language on immunity for medical/professional liability.

H.B. 81  REQUIRE INSURANCE COVERAGE OF DIABETES

This bill is would require health care insurance companies to cover diabetes.  This law has passed in 47 other states and would seem to be on the fast track for passing out the House Health Committee and the full House.

COALITION AND ISSUE EVENTS

• As a member of the state steering committee of the March of Dimes, I participated in their Advocacy Day at the legislature on May 13.  On the same day, I also attended part of the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians Legislative Conference.
• I represented ACOG, Ohio Section at a Health Policy Institute of Ohio meeting that issued the “Ohio Health Quality Improvement Draft Plan” which outlines an action plan based on the recommendations of the Ohio Health Quality Improvement Summit.  You can find the report at http://ohqis.pbwiki.com
• I met briefly with Rex Plouck, Deputy Director, Ohio Office of Information Technology.  Mr. Plouck is the state’s point person for federal stimulus money for use of electronic medical record systems in medical practices.  He also is charged with ensuring that the technology effort helps make the patient centered medical home happen.  I will monitor the progress of this office and when and how funds will be available for physicians to update their medical records.
• On May 18, the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS) held a public hearing on new updated family planning Medicaid definitions and codes.  ACOG, Ohio Section had several opportunities to review these definitions and to comment on them.  ACOG, Ohio Section has been a member of a working coalition to obtain a federal waiver enabling Ohio to expand family planning services to more women.  Due to recent Federal action, the expansion is now a state option for all states and there is no need to apply for a waiver which is good news for women’s health care.
• At the May 8 meeting of the Coalition of Primary Care Physicians, the guest speaker was William T. Winsley, Executive Director of the Ohio State Pharmacy Board.  Materials will be available at the next ACOG, Ohio Section meeting. Discussion focused on budget and emerging legislative issues, including the ACOG, Ohio Section presentation on the lay midwife issue. Also discussed was the managed care organization use of the medical home concept, next steps for a medical home demonstration project and the Ohio Health Quality progress report.