Ohio Health Policy Review

Conference on preventing family violence to be held Feb. 19 in Columbus

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio, in collaboration with the Anthem Foundation of Ohio, will host the conference "Preventing Family Violence: What Can be Done in Ohio?" on Feb. 19 at the Longaberger Alumni House, 2200 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, Ohio. The purpose of the conference is to share the policy findings from a new report by the Ohio Family Violence Prevention Project and to solicit feedback concerning next steps toward operationalization and field research. The plenary speaker will be the Honorable Jon Peterson, Ohio House of Representatives; the lunch speaker will be the Honorable Ray Miller, Ohio Senate. For more information or to register for this free event, go here.

Strickland delays autism Medicaid rules, reaches psychiatric drug compromise

Last week the Strickland Administration again delayed new rules which would curtail Medicaid funding for certain children's autism treatment services. (Source: Gongwer Report, Jan. 25, 2008.) "The rules proposed by ODJFS and the Department of Mental Health would prevent providers from billing the state's Medicaid program for community psychiatric supportive services for autism that don't match the federal guidelines. The Department of Mental Health's rule summary specifies that day treatment, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, adaptive, habilitative, or educational services don't qualify for reimbursement." If the new rules pass a Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review meeting on Feb. 19, they will go into effect July 1st.

In other news, the Strickland administration reached a compromise with mental health advocates over requiring physicians obtain prior authorization before prescribing psychiatric drugs for Medicaid patients. The new policy "will exempt psychiatrists enrolled in managed care plans or working within community mental health centers from the requirement, which mental health advocates said would erect a barrier to effective treatment for a very vulnerable population. Other providers, such as family practitioners, would still be subject to the prior authorization requirement."

Attorney General wants poor, uninsured to pay same medical prices as insurance companies

Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann "wants to ensure that the state's poor and uninsured pay the same prices for medical care as insurance companies." (Source: "Ohio attorney general wants poor to pay same for medical care as insurance companies," Plain Dealer, Jan. 30, 2008.) Dann said he is concerned about uninsured patients paying higher prices for medical procedures than insurance companies because they don't get large negotiated discounts. The proposal is part of Dann's new push to define what non-profit hospitals must do for their communities to remain tax exempt. Dann also says "he will hire experts to help define charity care" with regards to non-profit hospitals. The Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) says they plan to work with Dann to come up with these standards, with OHA spokeswoman Tiffany Himmelreich saying Dann should also consider other community benefits provided by hospitals, such as medical research and job creation.

Partnership for Chronic Diseases election guide

The Partnership for Chronic Diseases has released a voting guide detailing the major presidential candidates' stances on chronic disease and health care issues. The guide can be downloaded in PDF format.

Carol.com aims to be first online medical marketplace

Carol.com aims to be the first online medical marketplace in the U.S. by letting people to buy medical services on an à-la-carte basis. (Source: "Website may spark change in medical economics," Star Tribune, Jan. 27, 2008.) "Its creators want to do for health care what Travelocity did for airline tickets. Ankle pain? Click on the matching body part and two options pop up. For $199, doctors at Sports and Orthopaedic Specialists will check out your ankle, review your medical history and recommend treatment. TRIA Orthopaedic Center lists a similar package for $213--and a reminder that they are the team doctors for the Vikings and Timberwolves." The site also offers user reviews and info on if your health plan will pay for the procedure.

Based in Plymouth, Minnesota, Carol.com's success depends on "whether hospitals and clinics embrace the radical notion of bundling and pricing care with consumers in mind, not insurers, and make it all easy to compare. That open competition, proponents say, will drive down costs and raise quality." So far, several large health care providers in Minnesota have joined in, placing pricing info and services in the Carol.com database.

Ohio Business Roundtable releases health care spending analysis

According to a "diagnostic" of Ohio's health care industry by the Ohio Business Roundtable, the state's health care system consumes about $89 billion a year and is growing at a rate of 6% to 9% annually. (Source: Gongwer Report, Jan. 28, 2008.) "That dollar amount, which accounts for all the money consumers, employers, and taxpayers spend on health care products and services, represents about 16% of Gross State Product." According to Business Roundtable President Richard Stoff, if left unchanged spending on health care in Ohio will grow to about $200 billion by 2018.

Rep. Raussen releases health care reform bill

Rep. Jim Raussen, R-Springdale and chairman of the House's Health Care Access and Affordability committee, has released preliminary information on his health care reform bill. (Source: "Legislator proposes subsidies to expand health coverage," Cincinnati Enquirer, Jan. 29, 2008.) The bill would, among other things, subsidize claims of more than $15,000 a year for certain chronic diseases, require insurance companies to cover those claims, subsidize coverage for small companies, make it easier for children to be covered on their parents' policy, and provide incentives for doctors and hospitals to computerize records. According to Rep. Raussen, the bill has the support of Republican leaders in Columbus, would cost between $150 million to $500 million over the next six years, and would cover more than 600,000 of the estimated 1.3 million Ohioans who don't currently have health insurance.

Update: Rep. Raussen officially filed his proposed legislation as House Bill 456. A copy of the bill is available here.

Study: Pharmacy drive throughs may lead to errors

A study by an Ohio State University researcher "found that a number of pharmacists think the extra steps it takes to serve customers at drive-through windows can cause dispensing errors, miscommunication among staff members and delays in filling prescriptions." (Source: "Drive-throughs lead to errors, pharmacists say," Columbus Dispatch, Jan. 27, 2008.) In recent years, many pharmacies have built drive throughs, which are popular with customers. However, "with all the tasks being performed at drugstores--filling prescriptions, checking insurance coverage, calling doctors' offices and answering patients' questions--pharmacists say drive-through windows add another chance for errors."

Ohio not meeting demand for new pharmacists

"Ohio State University received more than 900 applications for 125 spots in its pharmacy college in the fall--despite the creation of two new pharmacy programs at other Ohio colleges in the past two years." (Source: "Pharmacy programs are much-needed Rx," Columbus Dispatch, Jan. 28, 2008.) "There are shortages of pharmacists both nationwide and in Ohio. By 2020, 157,000 positions will be unfilled nationwide, including nearly 20,000 in Ohio, according to projections." This shortage has resulted in bidding wars between pharmacies and hospitals for new pharmacists. To meet this need, OSU, Ohio Northern, the University of Cincinnati and the University of Toledo have all recently have expanded their pharmacy programs, while the University of Findlay and Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine opened new pharmacy schools in the past two years. Cedarville University hopes to start offering classes in fall 2009.

State employees paid to improve their health

On Jan. 18, about 4,000 state employees received the first installment of incentive payments to undergo health assessments and screenings and find ways to exercise, lose weight, stop smoking and reduce stress. (Source: "Cashing in on healthful lifestyles," Columbus Dispatch, Jan. 17, 2008.) Overall, the state will spend $10 million on the "Take Charge, Live Well" program through June 30, including $5 million to providers for tests and screenings, personal health coaching and a nurse advice line. While 84,000 employees and spouses are eligible for the $200 cash incentives, state officials expect participation to be far lower.

Hugh Quill, director of the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, expects the state's $10 million investment to result in a $35 million annual savings on health care costs after two to three years, along with producing healthier and more productive work force. The state will spend $468 million on employee health care this fiscal year, an 82% increase over the $257 million spent in fiscal year 2000.