01/24/2022

OSMAPAC Gears Up for 2022; Upcoming Fall Election

January 24, 2022 – The Ohio State Medical Association Political Action Committee (OSMAPAC) advocates as the political voice for Ohio physicians by helping to elect state and federal candidates based on their commitment to physician and patient issues. And 2022 will be another big election year, and the OSMAPAC is prepping for all that elections bring. One of the first steps is to launch this year’s giving campaign!

01/21/2022

Vaccine Mandate Update & Guidance

January 21, 2022 – After the U.S. Supreme Court lifted the ban against the vaccine mandate for health care workers in CMS funded facilities, CMS issued state survey guidance for the providers in the 24 that were affected by the decision, including Ohio.

01/20/2022

Ohio's 2021 Legislative Wrap Up & 2022 Preview

January 20, 2022 – It was another hectic year for OSMA's Advocacy team with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and with many major legislative issues in the spotlight. As usual, OSMA was on-hand to discuss topics impacting the practice of medicine with legislators and testify in committee hearings. Here is our summary and preview of what's in store for 2022...

01/18/2022

Medical Board's January Recap

January 18, 2022 – The medical board is busy drafting rules to support the recently passed telemedicine legislation. Learn notable provisions of the new telehealth law, as well as the details about nine petitions for potential new qualifying conditions for medical marijuana.

01/14/2022

Federal Vaccine Mandate Update

January 14, 2022 – Based on recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings, physicians and all health care workers at facilities that are subject to the Medicare and Medicaid Conditions of Participation must be vaccinated unless a medical or religious exemption applies. Physician offices are not subject to this mandate.

01/05/2022

New Surprise Billing Rule in Ohio—What to know!

January 5, 2022 – The Ohio Department of Insurance’s new rule, Ohio Administrative Code 3901-8-17, Reimbursement for Unanticipated Out-of-Network Care, is effective as of January 1, 2022. OSMA was an active participant throughout the rule drafting process.

01/04/2022

Federal Vaccine Mandates Update – How is your practice impacted?

January 4, 2022 – The US Supreme Court has announced it will hear arguments on Friday, January 7, on whether two separately-issued vaccine mandates may go into effect. One is the CMS mandate that applies to staff working at CMS-certified facilities such as hospitals, and the other is the OSHA vaccine and testing mandate that applies to all employers with more than 100 employees.

12/19/2021

OSMA Joins Amicus Brief in E-cigarettes Case

December 19, 2021 – Breeze Smoke v FDA: We're urging the court to uphold the FDA’s Final Marketing Denial Order because their decision was supported by evidence showing that the harm to the public, especially youth, was greater than the evidence provided by the company that their flavored nicotine product assisted smoking cessation more than unflavored products.

12/16/2021

Telehealth Legislation Passes Ohio Legislature

December 16, 2021 – Telehealth rules relaxed by the state Medical Board during the pandemic are becoming permanent. Governor DeWine is expected to sign House Bill 122 into law later this month, and the legislation will become effective 90 days after it is signed.

12/15/2021

Legislation Passes to Avert Most Medicare Cuts in 2022

December 15, 2021 – Due in part to the advocacy efforts of OSMA and Ohio physicians and with the leadership of the AMA and national specialty societies, congress passed legislation late last week to avert most of the scheduled Medicare physician cuts scheduled to start on January 1. We are thankful for all the calls and emails from Ohio physicians that helped make a difference, and we thank both Senators Brown and Portman for their votes.

12/15/2021

Ohio Anti-Vaccine Mandate Legislation Update

December 15, 2021 – OSMA last updated members on HB 218 when it passed in the House in November. Since that point, your OSMA advocacy team has continued to help lead the coalition against the bill, which is comprised of over 100 organizations in business, manufacturing, education and health care, representing over a million Ohioans. 

12/14/2021

Medical Board's December 2021 Meeting Highlights

December 14, 2021 – The State Medical Board of Ohio met on December 8, 2021. Here are highlights from the meeting, including leadership election updates and the physician assistant consult agreement rules effective December 31.

12/13/2021

Provider Relief Fund Reporting—Deadline Extended

December 13, 2021 – The Department of Health and Human Services issued the following statement at the end of last week extended the Provider Relief Funding Reporting one additional time until December 20.

11/21/2021

OSMA Signs Letter Asking for Revisions to the "No Surprises Act"

November 21, 2021 – The letter asks for revisions to the requirements in the most recent Interim Final Rule (IFR) implementing the No Surprises Act (NSA) that require an Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) entity to assume the Qualified Payment Amount (QPA) is a reasonable out-of-network rate, unless credible information submitted by the parties clearly demonstrates that the QPA is materially different from the appropriate out-of-network rate.

11/19/2021

Ohio House Passes Legislation Restricting Vaccine Mandates

November 19, 2021 - Lawmakers in the Ohio House have stripped language out of House Bill 218, and inserted anti-vaccine mandate provisions actively opposed by OSMA from House Bill 435.

11/16/2021

Medical Board Takes Action on Podiatry Scope Issue

November 16, 2021 - After the Board issued its determination on whether five specific procedures were within the scope of practice of a podiatrist, concerns were raised with respect to two of the specific procedures.

10/21/2021

OSMA Supports Introduction of Federal Prior Authorization Legislation

October 21, 2021 - This week, the bipartisan Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act  was introduced in the U.S. Senate. The legislation aims to significantly reform the prior authorization process with Medicare Advantage Plans. OSMA and numerous other physician organizations support this important piece of legislation.

10/21/2021

Ohio's Vaccination Legislation Summary

October 21, 2021 - OSMA has been on the front lines of the ongoing deliberations at the Statehouse regarding vaccines and employer requirements for vaccinations. Several legislative proposals have been in the spotlight recently that would limit how employers could require vaccinations, both COVID-19-specific and other vaccines.

10/20/2021

Medical Board October Updates

October 20, 2021 - Get updates from the Medical Board's October 2021 meeting—including weight loss prescribing rules, and an update on the soon-to-expire Telemedicine moratorium.

10/07/2021

Recent Updates from Ohio Medicaid for Physician Practices

The Ohio Department of Medicaid provided updates to the OSMA to share with members on several different topics.

09/28/2021

Take Action: Support the Prevention of Medicare Physician Payment Cuts!

September 28, 2021 - There is much work to be done to avert looming cuts in the Medicare physician payment system. In what amounts to a “perfect storm” of payment reductions going into effect in 2022, several Medicare spending cuts will result in a combined 9.75% payment cut for physician practices on Jan. 1.

08/24/2021

Combatting COVID-19 & Vaccine Misinformation

August 24, 2021 - Physician efforts to keep patients properly informed about developments in the pandemic are especially critical now with the ongoing spread of the Delta variant.

08/17/2021

OSMA Gears Up for New Insurance Reform Initiative

August 17, 2021 - Your OSMA advocacy team has been exploring and researching the issues that insurer policies and processes create in preparation for pursuit of further legislative and regulatory reform in Ohio.

08/17/2021

Medical Board Updates

August 16, 2021 - Get updates from the August 11th meeting—including Telemedicine guidance and the extension of enforcement moratorium, as well as discussions on resurrecting a Medical Board Quality Assurance Committee.

08/16/2021

Ohio Medicare & Medicaid Undergoing Many Policy Changes

August 16, 2021 - The good news is, these changes are focused on simplifying the process. The Ohio Department of Medicaid, through its next generation managed care program targeted to launch in January 2022, will feature significant components.

08/15/2021

Summary of 2022 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule & Quality Payment Program Proposed Rule

August 15, 2021 - On July 13, 2021, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the Calendar Year (CY) 2022 Revisions to Payment Policies under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and Other Changes to Part B Payment Policies proposed rule.

08/15/2021

OSMA Signs Letter Against Department of VA's Efforts for National Standards of Practice

August 15, 2021 - The effort is referred to as the Federal Supremacy Project, to develop National Standards of Practice for 48 healthcare occupations. As the name implies, the VA is invoking the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution to preempt state and local scope of practice laws.

08/02/2021

Open Notes in Healthcare: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the Cures Act

August 2, 2021 - On April 5, 2021, a requirement of the 21st Century Cures Act went into effect: Patients must be able to access information in their EHRs “without delay.” (This requirement does not apply to paper records.) The Cures Act prohibition against information blocking, often referred to as an “open notes” provision, provides patients with transparency in the outcomes of their healthcare via convenient access to information in their EHR, which can positively or negatively impact the patient-doctor relationship.

07/22/2021

Medical Board Clarifies Telemedicine Rules with State Emergency Expiring

July 22, 2021 - Since many of the medical board’s telemedicine rules were halted in early 2020 due to COVID-19, allowing much more leeway in treating patients remotely, OSMA has received many questions from physician offices about the current status of the rules and how the board will handle telemedicine once the pandemic has subsided.

07/21/2021

Help OSMAPAC Come Back Strong in 2021

July 21, 2021 - As Ohio works to recover from the impact of the pandemic, the Ohio State Medical Association Political Action Committee (OSMAPAC) is critical now more than ever. Your OSMA advocacy team is on-hand on a day-to-day basis and needs your support.

07/21/2021

Federal Advocacy Update

July 21, 2021 - CMS releases 2022 proposed Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, updates on state scope of practice activity, and President Biden signs Executive Order aimed at limiting anti-competitive behavior.

07/20/2021

Medical Board Updates

July 20, 2021 - Learn about the Interstate Medical License Compact (SB 6), and the recently reappointed Medical Board Member—Mark A. Bechtel, MD.

07/13/2021

Ohio to Enter into the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact

July 13, 2021 - Senate Bill 6, signed into law by Governor DeWine on June 29, 2021, authorizes the State Medical Board of Ohio to enter into the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. Ohio becomes the 35th state to become a member of the Compact. Physicians from any state with Compact membership, including Ohio, who meet the qualifications will be eligible for licensure in any other participating state. The following was sent by the Medical Board this afternoon to all physicians in the state.

07/01/2021

House Bill 244

July 1, 2021 - In a late-night and last-minute move the day before the legislature went on break for the summer, elected officials swiftly passed legislation that would prohibit Ohio public schools and colleges from mandating COVID-19 vaccinations..

07/01/2021

Amended Senate Bill 111

July 1, 2021 - Last week, legislators considering an unrelated spending bill added an anti-vaccine amendment to the bill and hurriedly passed it in a floor vote.

07/01/2021

State Budget Update: Governor DeWine Signs 2-Year Budget Bill into Law, Issues Line-Item Vetoes

July 1, 2021 - The Conference Committee finalized the state budget plan based on the contents of the bills passed in each legislative chamber, and the legislature approved the bill just short of their June 30 deadline. Late Monday night, the final version of HB 110 passed in the Senate (by a vote of 32-1), and House (by a vote of 82-13).

06/24/2021

Medicaid Managed Care Plans Increase Payment for COVID Vaccine

June 24, 2021 - The Medicaid and MyCare plans have had discussions with providers on how to increase vaccinated Medicaid recipients, and what their offices need to be effective. After listening to providers, the Medicaid and MyCare plans have decided to increase the amount per vaccine from $38 to $100 per COVID-19 vaccination.

06/23/2021

Medicaid Cybersecurity Incident Announcement

June 23, 2021 - The Ohio Department of Medicaid's provider data manager, Maximus, recently reported an incident involving an application related to credentialing and licensing data in Ohio.

06/23/2021

OSMA Members Speak Out: Anti-Vaccine HB 248 Opponent Hearings

June 23, 2021 - OSMA members and many others representing Ohio’s medical and business communities spoke out in opponent hearings in the House Health Committee on Tuesday, June 15 and Tuesday, June 22.

06/17/2021

Opponent Hearings on Anti-Vaccine Legislation Begin

June 17, 2021 - OSMA continues to participate in advocacy efforts in opposition to Ohio House Bill 248, a gravely concerning legislative proposal regarding vaccinations. Get the details to get involved in OSMA Efforts!

06/17/2021

State Budget Update: Ohio Senate Passes Budget Bill, Conference Committee Convenes

June 17, 2021 - Last week, the Ohio Senate voted 25-8, along party lines, to pass its version of House Bill 110, the $75 billion two-year state operating budget for FY 2022-2023.

06/16/2021

OSMA Advocacy Efforts on Insurance Coverage of Drugs Highlighted

June 16, 2021 - Earlier this week, the Columbus Dispatch published a series of articles highlighting the challenges many patients and physicians have with insurance coverage of drugs. The series featured several issues which OSMA is involved in advocacy on at the Statehouse.

06/15/2021

Medical Board's June Meeting Highlights

June 15, 2021 - The State Medical Board of Ohio met on June 9, 2021. Here are the topic highlights from the meeting.

05/26/2021

Prior Authorization under Medicare Plans

May 25, 2021 - Bipartisan legislation has been reintroduced that would protect patients from unnecessary delays in care by streamlining and standardizing prior authorization under Medicare Advantage plans, providing much-needed oversight and transparency of health insurance for America’s seniors.

05/20/2021

Advocacy Update: OSMA Testifies in Support of Tanning Ban for Minors

May 20, 2021 - This week, OSMA joined the Ohio Dermatological Association (ODA) testifying in support of House Bill 159, legislation that would prohibit use of indoor tanning services by those under the age of 18 in Ohio.

05/19/2021

Medical Board's May Meeting Highlights

May 19, 2021 - The State Medical Board of Ohio met on May 12, 2021. Here are the topic highlights from the meeting.

05/18/2021

Addressing Prediabetes and Hypertension—Your Input Matters!

May 18, 2021 – ODH is conducting one-on-one interviews to discuss current processes, opportunities for improvement, and team-based approaches—with the goal being to create social marketing campaigns to drive awareness amongst healthcare providers regarding best practices for prediabetes and hypertension.

05/05/2021

Medicare Recoupment Reminder—Let Us Know How It's Going!

May 5, 2021 – CMS recently began automatic recoupment of COVID-19 Accelerated and Advance Payments. OSMA and AMA are very interested in feedback about recoupment of the Medicare advance payments.

04/23/2021

Introducing OSMA’s New President: A Q&A with Lisa Egbert, MD

April 23, 2021 – We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Egbert as our new President, and we thank Dr. Anthony Armstrong who skillfully completed his term. Read on to learn more about Dr. Egbert, her medical career, and her vision for leading OSMA.

04/22/2021

State Budget Bill Update: House Approves HB 110, Sends to Senate

April 22, 2021 - OSMA has been monitoring the budget process over the last several months, keeping a close eye on provisions related to healthcare. This week, members of the Ohio House Finance Committee approved substitute House Bill 110, the House version of the state operating budget.

04/22/2021

Medical Board's April Meeting Highlights

April 21, 2021 - The State Medical Board of Ohio met on April 14, 2021. Here are the topic highlights from the meeting.

04/15/2021

OSMA's 2021 Annual Meeting Summary

April 15, 2021 - Get the details and results from our 2021 event. The virtual meeting kicked off with a keynote speech from Governor Mike DeWine, who took the opportunity to thank OSMA physician members for their service to patients as well as their counsel and leadership throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

04/06/2021

Temporary Medicare Claims Hold Pending Congressional Action

April 6, 2021 - CMS issued the following statement on March 30, in anticipation of possible Congressional action to extend the 2% sequester reduction suspension...

03/17/2021

March Advocacy Update—The Issues on OSMA’s Agenda

March 17, 2021 - OSMA’s Government Relations team serves as the voice of Ohio’s physicians—advising state departments and influencing state policy on health issues. We are currently working on a variety of familiar issues, as well as laying the groundwork and progressing with several reform initiatives.

03/17/2021

Senate Bill 22 Passes in the Ohio Legislature, DeWine Indicates He Will Veto

March 17, 2021 - As you may recall, SB 22 is the legislature’s reaction to the state’s pandemic response, and would limit the ability of the governor and the health department to issue orders related to the pandemic.

03/16/2021

Federal Advocacy Update

March 16, 2021 - Revisions to Policy that Would Have Raised Fees on Practices, and Biden Administration Announces Increase to Vaccine Administration Payment

03/15/2021

Annual PAC Campaign – Help Us Build Back Stronger!

March 15, 2021 - We wanted to let you know that we are gearing up efforts at a strong comeback after a challenging 2020 year. Because the OSMAPAC suspended a lot of its typical fundraising activities last year due to the impact of COVID-19 on the health care environment, it is even more important that we do everything we can this year to build back the strength of the PAC in 2021.

03/14/2021

Medical Board's March Meeting Highlights

March 14, 2021 - The State Medical Board of Ohio met on March 10, 2021. Here are the highlights from the meeting.

02/25/2021

What Consumers Want from Healthcare—Q&A with Expert, Linda MacCracken

February 25, 2021 - In advance of our 2021 Education Symposium, Navigating the Future of Healthcare, we’re highlighting one of our expert speakers, Linda MacCracken from Accenture, who shares her thoughts on what consumers—especially seniors—want from healthcare providers. More about this topic will be shared in a webinar at OSMA’s Education Symposium.

02/18/2021

2021 Legislative Sessions Kick Off – What is OSMA Working on So Far?

February 18, 2021 - The 134th General Assembly is underway, and hearings in the Ohio House and Senate have begun. As always, OSMA is on hand to monitor all legislation as it is introduced, identify proposals that would affect Ohio physicians and patient care, and make your voice heard on emerging issues.

02/17/2021

OSMA Joins AMA in Urging Congress to Extend the Moratorium on the Medicare Sequester

February 17, 2021 - OSMA recently signed on to a letter from the American Medical Association (AMA) encouraging congressional leadership to take action and pass legislation that would extend the current moratorium on the 2% Medicare payment sequester beyond the expiration date of March 31, 2021.

02/16/2021

Being an Advocate Q&A with OSMA Thought Leader, Alan Levy, MD

February 16, 2021 - What are some of the biggest policy issues facing healthcare at both the state and federal level? What does it mean to be a healthcare advocate? Learn from OSMA's Chair of the Focused Task Force on Legislation.

02/16/2021

Governor DeWine’s Proposed Budget – Items Impacting Health Care

February 16, 2021 - Many details within the budget are subject to change as the bill progresses through the two chambers, so OSMA will keep Ohio physicians informed in the coming weeks as budget proceedings continue.

02/16/2021

Join Our Advocacy Updates at 2021's Education Symposium

February 16, 2021 - Stay current with what’s going on at the Statehouse at the opening session of this year’s OSMA Education Symposium.

02/15/2021

Nominations Open for the 2020 Physician Advocate of the Year

February 15, 2021 - This award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated the ability to effectively advocate at the local, state or federal level on behalf of their profession and patients throughout 2020.

02/15/2021

Medical Board Meeting Highlights

February 15, 2021 - The State Medical Board of Ohio met on February 10, 2021. Here are the highlights from the meeting.

02/11/2021

Health Equity Q&A with OSMA President Anthony Armstrong, MD

February 11, 2021 - The COVID-19 pandemic and elevated conversations about racial justice have brought the issue of healthcare equity to the forefront for healthcare professionals everywhere. As we support members in 2021, we’re pleased to share thoughts from OSMA President Anthony Armstrong, MD on health equity and what this means for Ohio physicians.

01/23/2021

President Biden's Executive Orders for Handling COVID-19

January 23, 2021 - President Biden has unveiled a significant national strategy for handling COVID-19 and addressing pandemic preparedness generally. The President also took initial steps to immediately implement portions of this strategy, issuing several executive orders and memoranda.

07/16/2020

Mid-Year Advocacy Update

July 17, 2020 – It is an understatement to say that 2020 has brought us all many unexpected challenges. Together, we continue to be a strong collective force, and OSMA is pleased to have made progress with many of the year’s advocacy goals despite the disruptions caused by COVID-19.

08/01/2019

Ohio Physicians Give Feedback on Medicaid Managed Care Program

Many of our members provide daily patient care to Ohio’s Medicaid population and thus are uniquely qualified to provide meaningful information to assist the Ohio Department of Medicaid in its upcoming competitive Medicaid managed care procurement process. The comments we received from our members generally centered on areas where improvement is most desired, including plan accountability, grievances and appeals, provider support, benefits and delivery, and care coordination and management.

07/23/2019

Wrap Up: Ohio Delegation to the American Medical Association

Your OSMA Delegation to the AMA worked diligently on behalf of Ohio physicians during the recent 2019 Annual Meeting in Chicago. Ohio resolutions were carried forward and either adopted as new policy or committed the AMA to continue existing policy for another ten years.

07/18/2019

Ohio Budget Process Complete

The OSMA Government Relations team has been engaging with legislators on health care-related budget items since the governor’s initial proposal was released, and has been following and participating in the ongoing debates about a number of health policy decisions.

03/28/2019

Dollars & Sense: The State Budget

Earlier this week, the state budget became a bill on Capitol Hill—or at least on Capitol Square in Columbus, Ohio. The OSMA has completed an initial review of the bill language...

02/28/2019

OSMA Goes to Washington

Earlier this month, several OSMA members along with the OSMA Government Relations staff traveled to Washington DC to meet with members of Congress to discuss how existing laws are affecting patients and practices.

02/14/2019

What is the OSMA Doing for You?

With a new governor in office and Ohio legislators back at the Statehouse, the OSMA is putting our advocacy agenda—based on the priorities of our members—in motion.

01/08/2019

Ohio’s Lame Duck Legislative Session 2018 – What Happened & What You Should Know

The final months of 2018 were a whirlwind beyond the usual frenzied legislative activity of “lame duck” – with Ohio’s legislators staying in session until just days before the Christmas holiday, and returning for more action just days after. This scenario is extremely rare and hasn’t happened in Ohio’s legislature to this extent in decades.