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 Manager Micah Cook with questions or for ways to get involved.
Senate Bill 60 Speak Out Update
Thank you to the over 50 Ohio Academy of Family Physicians members that used your voice to “speak out” on Senate Bill 60 (SB 60) last week. SB 60 would create a new provider type in Ohio – Certified Mental Health Assistants – that have zero specified educational requirements and allows them prescriptive authority.
While mental health access is certainly a concern in Ohio, this is not the best way to address the problem. Due to your swift action, SB 60 was pulled from the Senate Workforce and Higher Education Committee agenda and it was not heard during the committee meeting. The bill sponsor, Senator Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green, OH), has requested a meeting with our coalition partners to further discuss the matter.
Marijuana Registration Fee Update
Source: NEA Consulting
The medical marijuana patient and caregiver registration fee will be $0.01 beginning on March 4, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce (DOC) Division of Cannabis Control (DCC).
The DCC has proposed a rule to completely eliminate the $50 fee for patients and the $25 fee for caregivers. “The division is working with its software vendor to remove the fee from the medical marijuana patient and caregiver registry as soon as the technological changes can be made,” the DCC said. “The DCC understands that a one cent charge is not ideal. However, at this time, the division feels it is appropriate and necessary to provide this immediate financial relief for patients and caregivers in the short term while working toward a full fee elimination as soon as the updates to the registry can be made.”
Family Physicians Endorse Legislation to Promote Physician Well-Being
Source: American Academy of Family Physicians
Why it matters: Research shows that physicians in the United States suffer a higher suicide rate than almost any other profession. The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) endorses reauthorization of the Dr. Lorna Breen Healthcare Provider Protection Reauthorization Act, which has already begun to address the mental health needs of our nation’s healthcare workers by investing in programs to protect their mental health and end the stigma medical professionals often face when seeking necessary treatment and support. This legislation would reauthorize those programs through 2029, which otherwise expire at the end of this year.
This bipartisan legislation is critical to ensuring our nation’s ability to respond to and support the mental health needs of physicians and other healthcare professionals. The AAFP supported this legislation in the 116th Congress ahead of its eventual passage into law.
- On February 15, the AAFP joined a coalition letter with other healthcare groups in support of the Lorna Breen Act. The original Lorna Breen legislation established grants and required other activities to improve mental and behavioral health among healthcare professionals.