On April 17, Ohio Academy of Family Physicians Executive Vice President (EVP) Ann Spicer; Deputy EVP Kate Mahler, CAE; and Lobbyist David Paragas participated in a House of Medicine meeting hosted by the Ohio State Medical Association.
Of course, the current COVID-19 pandemic was the primary topic of discussion as physicians on the call were very anxious about development of plans to phase elective surgeries and procedures back into health care. On April 15, Governor Mike DeWine asked the Ohio Hospital Association to develop a plan to begin treating patients whose non-COVID-19 elective procedures and/or surgeries were delayed or deferred due to the ongoing pandemic. The longer non-essential services are delayed, the more likely they are to become essential. To date, orders pertaining to COVID-19 have applied across the board statewide; the impact of moving to regional phase-in orders is concerning. The state is attempting to create a personal protective equipment (PPE) stockpile, but adequate PPE and testing remain major issues. As pressure mounts concerning the economy, the state is very focused on reopening for business, but how to do that safely is a challenging public health question.
Federal and state financial relief programs, as well as relaxation of federal and state regulations, were reviewed. Telehealth changes regarding payment have been welcomed but are inconsistently being applied by private payers.
In the short-term, the Ohio General Assembly is expected to briefly return to Columbus, OH, to address urgent matters pertaining to emergency appropriations for Medicaid, unemployment, and other budget shortfalls created by the coronavirus. When the General Assembly returns to a normal session schedule, scope bills are likely to be front and center as several interested parties meetings were cancelled just as stay-at-home orders were issued.
Participants also reviewed regulatory actions related to the coronavirus. The State Medical Board of Ohio has relaxed its enforcement of continuing medical educaiton requirements for licensure, regulations pertaining to care of patients not seen by the physician, and physician assistants acting in times of an emergency. The State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy (SOBP) promulgated an emergency rule limiting conditions under which chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine can be dispensed. SOBP is now seeking to make that rule permanent.