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.
State Medical Board Accepting Comments on Certified Mental Health Assistant License by June 5
The State Medical Board of Ohio (SMBO) seeks public input on proposed rules by interested parties. The Certified Mental Health Assistant (CMHA) license is a newly established credential under Ohio law, created through statutes set forth in Chapter 4772 of the Ohio Revised Code. Because this license type is new, there are currently no corresponding rules within the Ohio Administrative Code. As a result, all of the rules described herein are being introduced as new proposals. View the full list of CMHA rules.
Chapter 4772-1 Regulation of Certified Mental Health Assistants
4772-1-01 Definitions
4772-1-02 Scope of practice of certified mental health assistant
4772-1-03 Licensure of certified mental health assistant
4772-1-04 Requisite hours of continuing education for license renewal and reinstatement
4772-1-05 Continuing education requirements for restoration of a license
4772-1-06 Supervision
4772-1-07 Initial period of on-site supervision
4772-1-08 Quality assurance
4772-1-09 Delegation
Chapter 4772-2 Physician-Delegated Prescriptive Authority
4772-2-01 Standards for prescribing
4772-2-02 Standards and procedures for review of the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System
4772-2-03 Standards and procedures for personally furnishing drugs and therapeutic devices
Chapter 4772-3 Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
4772-3-01 Definitions
4772-3-02 Standards and procedures for withdrawal management for opioid use disorder
4772-3-03 Office-based opioid treatment
Chapter 4772-4 Provisions of State Medical Board Applicable to Certified Mental Health Assistants.
4772-4-01 Miscellaneous provisions
Comments must be email to Nathan Smith no later than Friday, June 5, 2026
Feds Finalize No Surprises Act Rule Overhauling Dispute Process
Source: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
The Trump Administration has finalized a long-awaited overhaul of the system used to settle out-of-network billing disputes between insurers and providers, amid growing criticism that the process is inefficient and susceptible to gaming (Source: Trump Administration Reforms Surprise Billing Dispute Resolution, Healthcare Dive, May 28).
The rule finalized by Health and Human Services and the Labor and Treasury Departments is meant to make dispute resolution more streamlined and lower costs for participating companies, regulators said. It’s also aimed at reducing ineligible claims for payment, which have contributed to snowballing disputes and spurred calls for reform from insurers.
The rule makes it easier to combine multiple claims into one dispute, standardizes stakeholder communication during arbitration, and lowers filing fees. It also sketches out plans for a new centralized platform for managing disputes, which will launch in phases starting this year.
Ohio Bill Targeting Medicaid Managed Care Raises Stakes for Dayton Insurer CareSource
Source: Dayton Daily News
A state lawmaker proposed a bill that would scrap the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s managed care program, opting instead to return to a fee-for-service model with administrative services organizations to process claims and other administrative tasks.
With the Dayton-based health insurer CareSource administering one of Ohio’s largest managed care plans, a change that large could have repercussions for local jobs and the region’s economy.
“This (administrative services organizations) model will integrate Medicaid care management for medical, behavioral health, and nursing care — creating a single line of Medicaid administration which will allow for streamlined management, significantly reduced administrative costs, and better access to healthcare for Ohioans,” State Representative Karen Brownlee (D-Symmes Twp., OH) said in her testimony when she introduced the bill in the Ohio House Medicaid Committee.
House Bill (HB) 780, called the “Medicaid Savings Act” in the bill, would require the Ohio Department of Medicaid to terminate the care management system within the Medicaid program and transition Medicaid recipients enrolled in a Medicaid managed care organization plan to the fee-for-service component of the Medicaid program or a newly established managed fee-for-service component.
HB 780 would then require Ohio Medicaid to contract with one or more administrative services organizations as a replacement for the care management system.
Read the full article in Dayton Daily News.