Legislative Interference with the Practice of Medicine
On October 13, 2013, in response to recent and alarming trends at the Statehouse, the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians Board of Directors adopted a policy statement opposing legislative interference with the practice of medicine.
Legislation that mandates certain physician behavior or communication without regard to the patients’ best interest shows a disturbing indifference for the patient-physician relationship and evidence-based medicine.
The OAFP strongly opposes any proposed or adopted legislation that infringes or has the potential to infringe on the clinical practice of medicine, that interferes with the patient-physician relationship, or that nullifies the professional judgment of physicians by:
- Dictating or restricting the nature and content of communications with patients
- Requiring physicians to provide diagnostic tests or procedures that are not supported by evidence or clinical relevance
- Requiring that certain procedures or treatments be delayed without regard to medical condition.
Recent legislative enactments of concern include:
- Heartbeat Bill (Substitute Senate Bill 23)
Additional Information and Resources
- Supreme Court Decision Criminalizes Medical Care and Limits Access to Health Care (Weekly Family Medicine Update, June 28, 2022)
- Impact of Overturning Roe v. Wade in Ohio (Weekly Family Medicine Update, June 28, 2022)
- Physician Organizations Issue Statement in Opposition to Legislation that Threatens Access of Reproductive Health Care (Weekly Family Medicine Update, March 29, 2022)
- Family Physicians Oppose Criminalization of Physician-Led Care (Weekly Family Medicine Update, March 1, 2022)
- Paperwork Violation is Third Degree Felony (Weekly Family Medicine Update, January 4, 2022)
- Ohio’s Heartbeat Bill Challenged in Court (Weekly Family Medicine Update, May 28, 2019)
- AAFP Calls on Politicians to End Political Interference in the Delivery of Evidence-Based Medicine (Weekly Family Medicine Update, May 21, 2019)
- Heartbeat Bill Signed into Law (Weekly Family Medicine Update, April 16, 2019)
- Judge Blocks Implementation of Law Prohibiting Abortion for Women with Down Syndrome Diagnosis (Weekly Family Medicine Update, March 20, 2018)
- ACLU Challenges Down Syndrome Legislation (Weekly Family Medicine Update, February 27, 2018)
- OAFP Opposes Bill that Criminalizes the Practice of Medicine (Weekly Family Medicine Update, February 13, 2018)
- Down Syndrome Abortion Ban on Governor’s Desk (Weekly Family Medicine Update, December 19, 2017)
- Ohio House Approves Measure that Criminalizes the Practice of Medicine (Weekly Family Medicine Update, November 7, 2017)
- Long-Term Care Facilities Required to Post Information about Flu Vaccines (Weekly Family Medicine Update, December 20, 2016)