STATZ TESTIFIES BEFORE HOUSE HEALTHCARE ACCESS & AFFORDABILITY COMMITTEE

On Thursday, May 8th OAHU Legislative Chair, Ken Statz, testified before the House Healthcare Access & Affordability Committee concerning the reinsurance program in H.B. 456.  H.B. 456 is Representative Jim Raussen’s omnibus healthcare reform legislation.  Included in the bill is the creation of the I-Ohio Reinsurance Program which uses reinsurance to provide affordable health insurance to people that are currently uninsurable in the individual market.  While stopping short of endorsing the reinsurance mechanism, Statz applauded Representative Raussen’s effort to provide access to affordable health insurance for uninsurable individuals.  Ken did discuss OAHU’s longstanding support of a high risk pool to accomplish the same goal.  At the end of the hearing Representative Raussen announced that a substitute (new) version of the bill would be brought before the committee next week.

After committee, Representative Raussen announced that he plans to replace the I-Ohio Reinsurance Plan with a high risk pool.  OAHU is working with Representative Raussen on the language and will likely testify concerning its provisions at the committee next Thursday, May15th.

COMMITTEE HEARINGS THE WEEK BEGINNING MAY 12th

Senate Health, Human Services & Aging Committee
            SB 114 – This bill, which is scheduled for its 6th hearing, would require a pharmacist to notify both the patient and the prescriber (physician) if they perform an interchange of an epilepsy drug. “Interchange” means substitution of one formulation of a drug for another formulation of the same drug including substitution from brand to generic, generic to brand and one generic brand to another generic brand.

House Health Committee
            HB 493 – This bill would prohibit a physician from billing for anatomic pathology services unless the services are personally rendered by the physician or rendered under the direct supervision of a physician.  The bill is scheduled for a possible vote.

House Healthcare Access & Affordability Committee
            HB 456 – Testimony on new substitute version of this omnibus healthcare reform legislation. This is the eleventh hearing on the bill.  (See article above)

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