On September 4, the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians participated in a House of Medicine meeting with the newly-elected Ohio House of Representatives Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima, OH). Speaker Cupp was elected as speaker on July 30 replacing Larry Householder (R-Glenford, OH) who was removed from the position following his arrest on federal bribery charges.
Speaker Cupp indicated that he had spent the last month attempting to clean house at the Ohio House of Representatives. He thanked the House of Medicine for taking time to speak with him about legislative priorities and pledged to listen and learn.
Monica Hueckel, director of governmental affairs at the Ohio State Medical Assocaition, provided a global overview of issues of interest to the House of Medicine. Outlined in her presentation were issues relative to barriers to access to care related to insurance and other interference into the practice of medicine, scope of practice, the opioid epidemic and access to substance abuse treatment, efforts to undermine Governor Mike DeWine’s actions to control the COVID-19 pandemic and the lag in immunizations and hesitancy that has already been expressed by legislators about any future COVID-19 vaccines.