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.
Gov. DeWine Signs Bill Aimed at Reducing Medicaid, SNAP Fraud
Source: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
Governor Mike DeWine recently signed into law a bill that expands electronic monitoring for Medicaid-funded home care and rolls out more secure EBT cards for food assistance (Source: Gov. Dewine Signs Bipartisan-Backed Bill Cracking Down on Medicaid, SNAP Fraud, Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 10).
The changes are part of Senate Bill (SB) 315, which passed with overwhelming bipartisan support last month.
The law requires Ohio to replace swipable electronic benefit cards with chip-enabled versions, a change intended to reduce theft of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.
SB 315 also expands electronic visit verification requirements for Medicaid home healthcare, including additional location verification to confirm caregivers are present while providing Medicaid-covered services. It also increases criminal penalties for Medicaid fraud.
SB 315 will take effect in early October.
Bill Reducing the Time Health Insurers Have to Recoup Overpayments from Providers Signed into Law
Source: Dayton Daily News
Governor Mike DeWine signed into law a bill that reduces the amount of time that health insurers have to get funds back from physicians and other healthcare professionals when a health insurer finds it overpaid for services.`
Previously, health insurers had up to two years to deny payment retroactively, also called a takeback, and recoup payments they had previously made to healthcare providers.
Senate Bill 162 reduces that timeframe to one year for insurers to audit and takeback paid claims while also extending the appeal period for physicians and other healthcare professionals from 30 days to 60 days.
The change is meant to provide physicians and other healthcare professionals with more stability when it comes to planning their budgets, according to state Senator Louis Blessing III (R-Colerain Twp., OH), primary sponsor of the bill. The possibility of having to pay back an insurer for a claim more than a year old could be disruption in balancing practices’ finances.
Read the full article in Dayton Daily News.