08/20/2020
Ohio Advocacy Update
OSMA is your ally in Ohio advocacy—making your voice heard on key issues impacting the physician community. Here are the major state advocacy updates for August.
Ohio’s New Speaker of the House:
Rep. Bob Cupp
On July 30, the Ohio House voted to remove former Speaker, Larry Householder, from his role. Rep. Bob Cupp (R-Lima) was chosen to take the position. Rep. Cupp has long been an ally to OSMA and to the physicians of Ohio, and was the sponsor of our most recent tort reform legislation that passed a few years ago.
Last year, Rep. Cupp attended the OSMA Council dinner hosted in Lima by Immediate Past OSMA President, Dr. Susan Hubbell, and he is the recipient of our 2020 Voice of Medicine Award—given to a public official who has had significant impact on the practice of medicine. Before our OSMA Annual Meeting was cancelled this year due to the coronavirus, Rep. Cupp planned to attend to accept the award.
Rep. Cupp is currently serving his third term in the Ohio House. He has served in all three branches of government at both local and state levels. In the past, he also served in the Ohio Senate and as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio, among other roles.
The OSMA is pleased with the swearing-in of Speaker Cupp and looks forward to continuing to work with him and the legislature this fall.
Medical Board Meeting Recap
Seeking Medical Experts:
The State Medical Board of Ohio contracts with qualified medical experts for quality of care reviews. The board is currently seeking experts in family medicine, internal medicine, and pain management. Potential experts should have a clinical practice within Ohio and be board-certified for a minimum of five years. If interested, please visit https://med.ohio.gov/Resources/Expert-Reviewers.
Rule Discussions Included:
- Interstate Compact for Licensure
- One-Bite Program and contracted services with Ohio Physicians Health Program
- Telehealth
While rule drafts and/or legislative language is not yet drafted for these topics, the OSMA remains an active stakeholder and stands ready to comment. If any of these topics interest you and/or directly impact your practice, please email OSMA for more information and ways to participate in the discussion.
Supreme Court Candidate Materials Available
As a reminder, this year’s OSMAPAC-endorsed candidates for Ohio Supreme Court are Justice Sharon Kennedy and Justice Judith French. These candidates were selected for their leadership, integrity and judicial experience, and both are well qualified to serve in this important role in our state.
Preceding the election, the OSMAPAC is offering free posters and/or mock prescription pads featuring the OSMAPAC-endorsed candidates for Ohio Supreme Court to members, to help spread the word about our endorsed candidates and the critical importance of the state Supreme Court elections to the practice of medicine.
To request posters and/or prescription pads for your office, please fill out this form.
OSMAPAC's 2020 Election Endorsements
To review the endorsed candidates for the upcoming election, view our full list of endorsements.
If you have questions about this information
or OSMA’s services to physicians:
Call 800-766-6762 or email OSMA.