Advocacy Updates

State Budget Process Completed

The legislature has wrapped up its work on House Bill 96, the state’s biennial budget bill. This process began back in February when the Governor introduced his Executive proposal for the state’s two-year spending package.  Both the House and Senate passed their own version of the plan, and the process culminated in a conference committee of House and Senate members.  On Wednesday, June 25, 2025, each chamber voted to approve the conference report, mostly by party-line votes, sending a final version to the Governor. Governor DeWine does have the opportunity to issue line-item vetoes before signing the measure. 

During the process, there was much discussion on the future of the Medicaid program.  At the top of mind is how the state will react to any changes at the federal level, specifically regarding the federal match for the Group VIII population. This is known as the Medicaid expansion population. Currently, the federal government provides a 90% match for this population. If they dip below that rate, Ohio could opt out of covering the population. 

Ohio ACEP joined the Ohio Medicaid Matters coalition to advocate for the program to be administered responsibly and in the best interest of Ohioans.  The Coalition is focused on the “trigger” language that would immediately opt Ohio out of covering the expansion population if the federal share decreases. Unfortunately, this language remains in the final version of the budget.

A provision was also included to require Medicaid, to the extent permissible under federal law, to conduct eligibility redeterminations for Group VIII enrollees every six months.

The conference committee adopted a provision to eliminate the Joint Medicaid Oversight Committee.

Medical Debt Legislation

Legislation has been introduced in the House regarding medical debt.  House Bill 257  would:

• Cap interest on medical debt at 3%.
• Prohibit medical debt from being reported on a credit report.  If the debt is reported, the consumer can file a claim and get the debt forgiven.
• Prohibits wage garnishment for repayment of medical debt.

Sponsors Representative Jean Schmidt and Michele Grim held a press conference on May 6^th to roll out the bill’s introduction. You can watch that here. The bill is undergoing hearings before the House Health Committee.  Several patient advocacy groups, including the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, and the National MS Society, are proponents of the proposal.

Ohio ACEP Testifies in Support of Naloxone Legislation

Senator and physician Terry Johnson has introduced Senate Bill 137, which requires hospitals to provide overdose reversal drugs, like naloxone. This initiative is championed by The Naloxone Project and supported by Ohio ACEP. The bill also allows the hospital to seek reimbursement for the drug. The Senate Health Committee will consider this legislation.  On June 4, 2024, Ohio ACEP Past President Michael McCrea testified in support of the legislation. Dr. James Neuenschwander, presenting the Ohio Naloxone Project, also provided in-person testimony in support. Written proponent testimony was submitted by the Ohio State Medical Association and Dr. Joan Papp from MetroHealth. At the 3^rd hearing on June 18, 2025, no opponent testimony was submitted.

ParaMedicine Legislation Introduced

Senator Susan Manchester has introduced Senate Bill 220 to establish insurance coverage for paramedicine services. This would require insurers and Medicaid to provide reimbursement for EMS organizations providing nonemergency medical services to members of the community.

The bill specifies that a community paramedicine program must operate under the direction of the EMS organization's medical director or a cooperating physician advisory board. Ohio ACEP’s EMS committee has reviewed the legislation and is generally supportive of the proposal.

PA Legislation Introduced

Legislation was recently introduced to change the title of physician assistants to physician associates. House Bill 353 was introduced by Representatives Brian Lampton and Gayle Manning. Ohio ACEP will oppose this legislation, along with other medical societies, including the OSMA. Changing the name of the profession will cause patient confusion. National ACEP has issued a position on this, as PAs are pursuing this change nationwide. 

EMS Obstruction Penalty Bill Passes House

Representatives Thomas Hall and Phil Plummer have introduced House Bill 20, which aims to criminalize obstructing EMS providers while they are performing their duties. The bill classifies the obstruction of official business as a misdemeanor in the 1^st degree if the offender disregards warnings to keep their distance.  Currently, the offense is classified as a 2^nd-degree misdemeanor.  The House Public Safety Committee considered this bill.  It passed the full House of Representatives by a vote of 79-18 on June 18, 2025.  The legislation was supported by the FO, other EMS provider organizations and the prosecutors association.  The ACLU was the lone opponent. 

CRNA Legislation Passes Ohio House

Legislation regarding the scope of practice of certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), sponsored by freshman legislator Representative Kellie Deeter, herself a CRNA, has passed the Ohio House. 

House Bill 52 removes supervision requirements for CRNAs to administer anesthesia, order drugs, and perform other clinical tasks. Instead, under the bill, they would do these things in collaboration with a physician, dentist, or podiatrist. The bill also eliminates the requirement that anesthesia be administered by a CRNA in the immediate presence of a physician, dentist, or podiatrist. Additionally, the bill mandates that patients be notified as to which type of provider (physician, CRNA, etc.) will be administering their anesthesia. 

Initially, the Ohio Society of Anesthesiologists (OSMA) and other groups opposed the bill. However, through work and negotiations with the bill sponsor, the groups shifted to a neutral stance. The bill passed the full House with a vote of 94-1 and will now be considered by the Ohio Senate. 

House Bill Would Require Hospitals to Comply with Immigrant Enforcement

Representative Josh Williams has introduced House Bill 281 that would require hospitals to allow immigration enforcement agencies into their buildings to perform official duties, including arrests. If a hospital fails to comply, funding and Medicaid provider agreements could be jeopardized. This legislation is pending before the House Public Safety Committee, where there has already been a sponsor hearing. 

Want to Learn More?

If you’re interested in viewing the status of all of the bills Ohio ACEP is tracking, you can find that here.