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.
Update on Government Funding
Source: American Academy of Family Physicians
The U.S. House passed the U.S. Senate amended version of a government funding package by a vote of 217-214. This package provides a year-long appropriation of multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services. The Department of Homeland Security will continue to operate under a 2-week continuing resolution (through Friday, February 13) while lawmakers discuss possible guardrails around Immigrations and Customs Enforcement..
This deal is a reflection of bipartisan negotiations that took place this past week between Senate Democrats and the White House to address a funding stalemate in light of the ongoing events in Minneapolis. It’s also worth noting that the year-long appropriations package includes a multi-year reauthorization of the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program (through 2029), Community Health Center and National Health Service Corps funding (through the end of this year), and an extension of telehealth flexibilities for 2 years (through 2027). The federal government is expected to re-open in the near future.
Representatives Miller and Robb Blasdel Introduce Bill to Require Schools to Inform Parents of Vaccine Exemptions
Source: Hannah News
Touted by sponsors as a transparency and clarity bill, legislation introduced in the House Health Committee recently would require Ohio schools to notify parents about the childhood immunizations required by law as a condition of continued admission or enrollment and to notify parents about the exemptions that currently exist in Ohio code.
“This legislation aims to ensure parents are fully informed of their existing rights under Ohio law to claim vaccine exemptions for children to attend licensed day cares, pre-schools, and K-12 public and nonpublic chartered schools,” said House Bill (HB) 561 sponsor Representative Melanie Miller (R-Ashland, OH).
“Under current Ohio law, there are conscientious, religious, and medical vaccine exemptions that have existed in Ohio law for decades. However, parents are not always informed that these exemptions exist, and they may receive inconsistent guidance depending on the school or childcare provider,” added Rep. Miller.
Joint sponsor Representative Monica Robb Blasdel (R-Columbiana, OH) said HB 561 does not discourage vaccination. Rather, it promotes informed decision-making by ensuring families have access to complete and accurate information.
Committee member Representative Brian Stewart (R-Ashville, OH) said it was important to “level-set” when it came to the rates at which Ohio’s school children are vaccinated. Rep. Stewart cited data from the Ohio Department of Health saying that over 90% of Ohio’s school children are vaccinated, and over 90% additionally agree on the importance of vaccination.
Read the full article in Hannah News.
Ballot Referendum Proposal to End Intoxicating Hemp Ban Passes Attorney General Review
Source: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
A proposed statewide referendum to reverse Ohio’s intoxicating hemp ban and other changes to cannabis control law has been approved by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, a few weeks after an initial version was rejected (Source: Petition to Kill Ohio Intoxicating Hemp Ban, other Marijuana Law Changes Passes Attorney General Yost, Dayton Daily News, February 3).
The referendum is specifically aimed at repealing the first three sections of Senate Bill 56, which was passed at the end of last year to make a list of changes to Ohio’s recreational marijuana laws, and limit the sale of intoxicating hemp products to marijuana dispensaries only.
Intoxicating hemp products, including hemp-infused drinks, were previously unregulated, allowing any willing retailer to sell products containing delta-8 THC, THCA, and other intoxicating cannabinoids at their own discretion.
President Signs Federal Spending Package Funding HHS, Health-Related Programs
Source: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
President Donald Trump recently signed a massive funding package that includes significant health policy funding (Source: Trump Signs $1.2T Spending Package that Funds HHS, Enacts PBM Reforms, Telehealth and Hospital-At-Home Measures, Fierce Healthcare, February 3).
The funding package includes $116.6 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Health and Human Services and finalizes several key healthcare extenders, including provisions of the Medicare telehealth program and the Acute Hospital Care at Home waiver, as well as major supplementary funding programs for rural hospitals and those with high proportions of government-covered patients.
Provider Taxes (Franchise Fees) Account for Significant Share of Medicaid Revenue in Ohio
Source: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
The federal government has begun releasing guidance on the implementation of new restrictions to provider taxes that many states, including Ohio, use to generate revenue to pay for their Medicaid programs (Sources: CMS Finalizes Rule Cracking Down on Medicaid Provider Taxes” Healthcare Dive, January 30 and CMS Issues New Guidance on HR 1’s Restrictions on State use ff Provider Taxes to Finance Medicaid, Georgetown University Center for Children and Families blog, November 18, 2025).
Medicaid is funded jointly by states and the federal government. Provider taxes comprise approximately 17% of state Medicaid funds nationally. Ohio’s three largest provider taxes accounted for $3.2 billion in state revenue in State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2025. Provider taxes draw down federal matching dollars, enabling states to increase and improve healthcare access for residents.
Changes to provider tax rules included in HR 1, sometimes referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, will reduce federal Medicaid spending by $226 billion over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. For example, unless Ohio leaders change pieces of the state’s existing Health Insuring Corporation (HIC) franchise fee to comply with the new federal rules, Ohio could lose approximately $3 billion a year in decreased taxes collected and federal draw-down amounts starting in SFY 2028. Other provisions in HR 1 will affect Ohio’s hospital franchise fee in the coming years as well.
The Health Policy Institute of Ohio plans to release a policy explainer on Medicaid financing in the coming weeks that will provide additional details on how Ohio pays for its Medicaid program and highlight upcoming decisions state policymakers will face in response to federal policy changes.