On January 27, the Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA) hosted a meeting of the House of Medicine at the Sheraton Columbus at Capitol Square. OSMA President and Ohio Academy of Family Physicians Past President Brian Bachelder, MD, chaired the very productive meeting. OAFP Executive Vice President Ann Spicer represented the Academy at the meeting.
Discussions focused around four target areas: issues impacting medicine (state budget, tort reform, price transparency, and prescription drug pricing); scope of practice (certified registered nurse anesthetists and psychologists); professional and regulatory issues (one-bite, Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System, medical marijuana, prior authorization implementation, and compounding); and public health (prescription drug abuse, mental health parity, and Graduate Medical Education funding).
- Workable, implementable price transparency
- Changing the focus on opioids from blaming physicians to treatment
- Surprise non-coverage billing – can occur when a patient utilizes an in-network hospital but receives services from an out-of-network provider, making the patient’s out-of-pocket costs higher than expected.
- Making sure that prior authorization laws are implemented and followed
- Drug pricing initiative to be on the November general election ballot.