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.
Ohio Physicians’ Association Endorses Ramaswamy, But Some Doctors are Defecting
Source: Statehouse News Bureau
The Ohio State Medical Association’s (OSMA) Political Action Committee has endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy, the GOP candidate for governor, over Democratic candidate Amy Acton, a licensed doctor.
The OSMA is the major trade association for Ohio physicians. OSMA President Gary Katz, MD wrote in a recently released letter that its PAC arm may have broken for Ramaswamy this cycle because of what Ramaswamy is prioritizing, like “reducing government and insurance barriers.”
“Ramaswamy expressed the view that physicians must remain in charge of the healthcare process, and that insurers should not be making medical decisions that should be made between physicians and their patients,” Dr. Katz said.
But some individual doctors, many of them OSMA members, are defecting. More than 1,000 have signed a letter circulating in favor of Dr. Acton.
Lauren Beene, MD, an East Cleveland, OH, pediatrician who is leading the Doctors for Dr. Amy Acton charge, said “they all believe very strongly that … Acton is a far better candidate.”
Read the full article in Statehouse News Bureau.
New HPIO Explainer Explores Policy Options to Address Rise in Nicotine Pouch Use
Source: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
The Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO) has released a new policy explainer on updating Ohio’s tobacco policy to address nicotine pouch use.
Oral nicotine pouches are small, often flavored, dissolvable packets that users place under their lips to absorb nicotine through the gums. Oral nicotine pouches, also known as ONPs or white snus, are becoming more common, with national sales spiking from 3.3 million units in 2017 to 619.6 million in 2024.
Because the product is relatively new, research on the health risks of ONPs is limited, especially for long-term use. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states: “There are no safe tobacco products, including nicotine pouches. This is especially true for youth, young adults, and women who are pregnant.”
The new HPIO policy explainer highlights what is known and unknown about nicotine pouch use in Ohio and describes current policy surrounding nicotine pouches.
Report: Up to 2.3 Million Young Adults in the U.S. Could Lose Medicaid Coverage Because of Work Reporting Requirements
Source: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
New research from the Urban Institute finds that millions of young adults in the United States could lose Medicaid coverage when work reporting requirements are implemented next year (Source: How Medicaid Work Requirements Could Impact Young Adults, Fierce Healthcare, September 14).
The report found that work reporting requirements could cause up to 2.3 million people ages 19 to 24 to lose Medicaid coverage, especially as check-ins become more frequent.
States have some leeway in how they could respond to the work requirements, and any mitigation strategies they deploy will impact how many people ultimately lose coverage, according to the report. Depending on how states roll out their programs, 1.1 million to 2.3 million young adults could fall off the rolls, the study projects.
RAND Corporation analysis released this summer estimated that 172,600 Ohioans (of all ages) could lose Medicaid coverage over the next decade because of the new work requirement.
The analysts said young adults are more likely to struggle to keep up with required eligibility determinations because they tend to be transient and may move between states more frequently. Eligible activities they engage in, such as gig work or schooling, are harder for states to capture, per the report.
In June, HPIO released a policy update on implementing Medicaid work requirements in Ohio.
Ohio Officials Announce Delay on SNAP Sugary Beverages Ban
Source: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) announced recently that it is delaying a ban on purchasing certain sugary drinks with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits in Ohio (Source: Ohio Officials Delay SNAP Ban of Sugary Beverages, Spectrum News, September 8).
The ban was originally set to begin on Thursday, October 1; however, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA) has requested a delay, according to an ODJFS release.
“The FNA recently requested Ohio to delay implementation so that the FNA can issue a notice in the Federal Register and assess public comments prior to project implementation,” the ODJFS said in the news release. “In response, Ohio will pause the start of the sugary beverage ban until it receives further guidance. The ODJFS will communicate the delay to SNAP recipients and retailers and will provide both with details of the implementation once those are known.”