The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) advocacy team monitors healthcare related legislation, rule changes, and legislative updates for Ohio’s family physicians.
To access the OAFP Bill Tracker, visit the OAFP Public Policy webpage and click on the Bill Tracker icon.
Read on for this week’s updates and contact Advocacy Coordinator Kaela Springhetti with questions or for ways to get involved.
Request for Physician Feedback
The Ohio Department of Medicaid is conducting pre-clearance stakeholder outreach on the five-year rule review for Ohio Administrative Code 5160-4-33, Application of topical fluoride treatments by non-dentist providers.
Please email any comments to Kate Mahler, CAE, no later than Thursday, May 1.
Governor DeWine Calls for Legislators to Restore Funding to Pregnancy Home Visiting Program
Source: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
Governor Mike DeWine said recently that state lawmakers should reconsider reductions proposed to his budget plan, including cuts to a home visiting program for pregnant women aimed at reducing Ohio’s high infant mortality rate.
The latest version of House Bill 96, Gov. DeWine said, does not fund some initiatives at “the levels that we think are necessary,” adding it is still relatively early in the budget cycle.
Lawmakers have proposed cutting money for Help Me Grow by more than $22.5 million during fiscal year 2027, according to analysis documents.
Geared toward pregnant women, caregivers with new babies, and families with young children with developmental delays and disabilities, Help Me Grow provides free professional home visits by nurses and social workers, alongside early intervention of developmental delays or disabilities in babies.
“These are reaching out to moms in very difficult times for them. This is one of the ways that you reduce infant mortality,” Gov. DeWine said. “We’re making some progress on infant mortality. We’re moving the numbers some, not as fast as we want.”
In 2022, Ohio had the eighth-highest infant mortality rate nationwide, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
Gov. DeWine asked the legislature for a funding increase for Help Me Grow earlier this year, but House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima, OH) said recently there were some questions about the program’s potential “efficacy,” hence the reduction.