OHA Advocacy Network

Advocacy Report • Friday, April 25, 2008

Action for next week…

Wednesday

SB 115 – Child Insurance: Senate Insurance, Commerce & Labor Committee, North Hearing Room at 3:30 pm (All testimony, Possible vote)

HB 529 – Anatomical Gift Act: House Health Committee, Room 17 at 4pm (All testimony)

HB 493 – Pathology Services: House Health Committee, Room 17 at 4pm (All testimony)

HB 503 - Psychologist Licensure: House Health Committee, Room 17 at 4pm (All testimony)

Thursday

HB 456 - Health Care Reform: House Healthcare Access & Affordability, Room 17 at 10 am (BWC Discounts)

House Committee Approves Booster Seat Legislation

Legislation requiring children between the ages of 4 and 8 to be secured in a booster seat while a car is in operation was approved this week by the House Infrastructure, Homeland Security & Veterans Affairs Committee. According to national studies, over 400 4-to-8 year-olds are killed in traffic crashes every year, and roughly 70,000 more are injured. Research has shown that booster seat use rates are very low, with 46 percent of children inappropriately using adult seatbelts and 17 percent riding completely unrestrained. According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, booster seats are extremely effective in reducing injuries in crashes, and interventions aimed at increasing booster seat use have increased usage rates by roughly 40 percent.

Because of the potential increase in public safety for Ohio’s children, the Ohio Hospital Association’s Foundation for Healthy Communities and the OHA Board of Trustees have adopted a position to support House Bill 320, sponsored by Rep. Shannon Jones (R-Springboro). OHA sent a letter to the committee this week sharing its’ support of the legislation that now awaits a full house vote, possibly as soon as next week. (Jeff Klingler, jeffk@ohanet.org)

Senate & House Committee Move on Radiologist Assistants Legislation

Companion bills regarding the licensure of radiologist assistants saw action in both the House and Senate this week. Senate Bill 229, sponsored by Rep. Randy Gardner (R-Bowling Green), was unanimously approved Wednesday by the Ohio Senate. Also on Wednesday, House Health Committee continued to hear testimony on House Bill 398, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Bacon (R-Columbus). Both pieces of legislation would create new licensure requirements for radiologist assistants, if they are already licensed as a radiology technician, and also authorize a licensed radiologist assistant to perform certain radiologic procedures under the direct supervision of a physician specializing in radiology. The legislation would also:

· Transfer the regulation of radiologist assistants from the Ohio Department of Health to the State Medical Board and allow the board six months to adopt rules and implement the program.

· Require applicants hold credentials from the National Registry of Radiologic Technologists.

· Permit assistants to perform procedures not listed in the bill if they are authorized in the board's rules.

· Limit assistants' authority to administer drugs to those that are directly related to the radiological procedure being performed.

OHA processed the legislation with the OHA Quality Improvement and Accreditation Committee, which raised numerous quality concerns with the bills provisions. While initially opposed to the proposal, OHA participated in numerous meetings on the legislation, and all of the OHA Quality Committee’s concerns have been resolved in the newest version of the legislation. OHA sent a letter to House Health Committee this week sharing its’ current position of not opposed. For more information licensure issues OHA is following visit the state issues portion of the OHA Web site. (Jeff Klingler, jeffk@ohanet.org)

Healthcare Access & Affordability Hears Examines Pharmaceutical Purchasing

Pharmaceutical benefits were the focus of this week’s Healthcare Access & Affordability Committee hearing, which is considering House Bill 456, sponsored by committee chairman Jim Raussen (R-Springdale). The bill proposes the creation of the Office of Pharmaceutical Purchasing Coordination. Most directly affecting hospitals would be the proposal that the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation enter into discounted pricing arrangements with pharmacy providers under the supervision of the newly created office. The bill also specifies that the pharmaceutical system used by an managed care organization must have access to the eligibility and pricing of all prescription drugs as established in the contract negotiated and entered into by the Office.

At the hearing, the committee heard from Janis Sunderhaus, executive director of Allen County Health Partners, who testified that federally qualified health centers, which can dispense medication obtained through the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program, are generally supportive of the measure that would enable them to serve prisoners. The Committee also heard from Annette Chambers, chief of DRC's Bureau of Medical Services, who said the federal Health Resources Services Administration would provide free technical assistance that could include drug cost comparisons. Donna Boswell, of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association, provided information on the Partnership for Prescription Assistance, saying the program has matched more than 4.8 million Americans to patient assistance programs.

OHA has taken a neutral position on this provision. For more information on other provisions in HB 456, visit OHA’s Health Care Access & Affordability Web page. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org)

Hospitals Applaud Newly-Passed Energy Bill
Ohio’s hospital community supports the final version of Ohio’s comprehensive energy bill passed by the General Assembly Wednesday, hopeful it will improve reliability and help Ohio avoid sharp increases in electric rates beginning next year. Senate Bill 221, sponsored by Sen. Robert Schuler (R-Cincinnati), now heads to Gov. Ted Strickland who said he will sign it into law. Overall, electric rates under the bill are expected to increase moderately during the next 2-3 years under electric security plans, although FirstEnergy rates may increase more significantly if it makes good on earlier statements that it planned next year to go to high market-based electric rates.

Thanks in large part to the leadership of the Greater Cincinnati Health Council, the final bill also includes net metering language that will enable Ohio hospitals with appropriate electric generating equipment to use on-site electric generating facilities in times of peak demand to sell electricity back to the utility's power grid. Another provision in SB 221 permits a utility and a commercial or industrial customer, or group of customers, to file a special rate schedule with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. This may provide an opportunity for hospitals to obtain lower electric rates if they are willing, for example, to have their power interrupted during times of peak demand.

OHA is analyzing the bill and will provide a detailed member bulletin in May. However, passage of SB 221 is considered a success because electric rates after this year were expected to increase, with the potential to jump dramatically as in states with deregulated electric rates. OHA is a member of the Ohio Coalition for Affordable Power, which supported SB 221 in its advocacy for a framework to ensure affordable and reliable power. For more information, visit OHA’s Energy Web page. (Bridget Gargan; Rick Sites)

Senate Hears Hospital, Nurse Support for Nurse Staffing Bill

The Senate Health, Human Services and Aging Committee this week heard proponent testimony for the “common sense” nurse staffing legislation supported by OHA, the Ohio Nurses Association (ONA) and the Ohio Organization for Nurse Executives (OONE). Suzanne Martin, RN, JD, testified on behalf of both OHA and OONE about the unique collaboration between hospitals and nurses that ultimately resulted in House Bill 346, sponsored by Rep. Jim Hughes (R-Columbus).

Martin outlined the bill’s requirement that hospitals create a nursing care committee with nurses representing all types of nursing services offered by the hospital. The committee will develop recommendations for a nurse staffing plan that is consistent with current private or governmental accreditation standards. Hospitals would be required to significantly consider the recommendations when establishing staffing plans, and they must provide the nursing staff with a copy of the staffing plan, free of charge, and offer it to others who request it for a nominal fee.

Martin also noted that while the bill does not provide penalties on hospitals that do not comply with its provisions, hospitals will be held accountable by their nurses, patients and communities for developing safe staffing plans. She said hospitals have a long-standing record of complying with state requirements, even without the threat of a financial penalty or investigations by a state agency.

OHA encourages nurse executives and others to contact their state senator, urging their support of HB 346 by utilizing a Web-based grassroots advocacy tool that allows individuals to easily and quickly draft and download a letter. Individuals can add their own comments to OHA’s template letter and they can ask others from around the state to take action as well. To learn more about the nurse staffing issue visit OHA’s state health care issues Web site. (Jeff Klingler; Jean Scholz)

Deadline Approaching to Submit Payroll Tax Data for Advocacy Efforts
Last month, OHA sent a survey to hospital government relations contacts requesting data, by zip code, on the payroll taxes of hospitals. April 30 is the deadline for each hospital to complete one survey questionnaire for the hospital’s 2006 fiscal year and another for the hospital’s 2007 fiscal year. OHA will use the data to provide state and federal elected officials with a quantifiable snapshot of the fiscal impact of hospital employees, which will enhance OHA’s and the Ohio hospital community’s advocacy efforts. OHA is requesting hospital-specific data on local, state and federal payroll taxes and contributions to Medicare and Social Security, by Ohio zip code. The data will also be used in OHA’s 2008 community benefit report. View memo to government relations contacts. (Bridget Gargan, bridgetg@ohanet.org; Charles Cataline, charlesc@ohanet.org)

Not a Member of the Advocacy Network?

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The OHA Advocacy Network is a service of the Ohio Hospital Association, 155 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215-3620, 614-221-7614, 614-221-4771 (fax)

Visit us on the Web at: www.ohanet.org

Direct questions on OHA’s advocacy agenda to:

Bridget Gargan, Vice President, State Policy & Advocacy (bridgetg@ohanet.org)

Jeff Klingler, Director, State Policy & Advocacy (jeffk@ohanet.org)

Jean Scholz, RN, Director, Health Policy (jeans@ohanet.org)

Rick Sites, General Counsel (ricks@ohanet.org)

Stacey Conrad, Manager, State Policy & Advocacy (staceyc@ohanet.org)

Jonathan Archey, Director, Federal Relations (jonathana@ohanet.org)

Laura Landis, Executive Assistant, State Policy & Advocacy (laural@ohanet.org)