The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians is your go-to source for family medicine advocacy! Read on for this week’s updates and contact Government Relations Director Jeremy Blake with questions.
Election Day!
The OAFP reminds you that your vote is your voice, and we encourage you to make it heard by casting a ballot by 7:30 p.m. today!
Today, Tuesday, November 8, is Election Day. If you are registered to vote and have not yet done so via absentee or early in-person voting, today is your day. If you have questions about where to vote, you can locate your polling location online.
Election Voting News
Source: Statehouse News Bureau
Nearly 843,000 Ohioans Cast Ballots in Record Early Voting in a Race for Governor, U.S. Senator
The number of Ohioans casting ballots this year eclipsed the previous early voting record for a gubernatorial year in 2018. Learn more in the Statehouse News Bureau article.
Take Action
Speak Out! Fix Prior Authorization Ask Senators to Pass the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act
Over the past decade, public and private insurers have substantially increased the use of prior authorization in an attempt to reduce healthcare costs. As a result, patients now experience significant barriers to medically necessary care due to prior approval requirements for items and services that are eventually and routinely approved. Nearly 4 out of 5 Medicare Advantage beneficiaries are subject to unnecessary delays due to prior authorizations and it continues to be the first administrative burden identified by physicians.
The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act (H.R. 3173/S. 3018) would streamline and standardize prior authorization under the Medicare Advantage program, protect patients from unnecessary delays in care, and reduce administrative burden for physicians.
On September 14, after constant pressure from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and physicians across the country, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3173. Now it is crucial that Senators hear from physicians in their district that reforming prior authorization is a priority, and they need to support the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act today.
Contact your Senators today via AAFP’s Speak Out.
Join the AAFP in Urging Your Representative to Co-Sponsor H.R. 8800, the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022!
Family physicians face unsustainable Medicare payment cuts in 2023. These impending cuts, coupled with inflation and Medicare sequestration, place an undue burden on family medicine practices and imperil access to care for many patients. Join the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) in urging your Representative to co-sponsor the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022! Speaking Out!
Urge Congress to Address Student Debt and Pass the REDI Act
The REDI Act would allow medical students to qualify for interest-free deferment on their student loans while in a residency training program, creating more financial viability for physicians to specialize in family medicine and primary care. Providing interest accrual relief during residency would make opening practices in underserved areas, consider becoming faculty, or entering research more attractive and affordable to residents, as well as address the cost barrier for medical students entering primary care.
Urge Congress using Speak Out today asking them to permanently address the growing burden of student debt by passing the REDI Act.
Need to Know
Ohio Supreme Court Candidate Interviews Now Available
The Ohio Academy of Family Physicians (OAFP) advocacy team, Government Relations Director Jeremy Blake and OAFP Lobbyist Lauren Huddleston, JD, interviewed each of the six judicial candidates for the Ohio Supreme Court. These interviews are now available for you to watch on the Ohio Supreme Court Candidate Forum page of the OAFP’s website.
For more information, read this article in a past issue of the Weekly Family Medicine Update.
Weekly Video News
The State of Ohio, PBS | November 4, 2022
The State of Ohio is a weekly program focused on state politics and government. This election is going forward with fewer elections workers, with those professionals leaving their jobs out of frustration and fear. And exploring Issue 2, a ban on non-citizens from voting. Watch The State of Ohio.
Face the State, WBNS 10TV | November 6, 2022
Face the State is a weekly program focused on politics and government. This week, a look ahead to today’s election, issues on the ballot, and the Board of Education’s stand on Title IX. Watch Face the State.
The Spectrum, NBC 4 | November 6, 2022
The Spectrum is a weekly program focused on state politics and government. Interviews on the Ohio Governor’s race, the Senate race, and statewide ballot issues being decided on Election Day. Watch The Spectrum.