On July 24, LMHS Leadership and Board Members were invited to attend The State of Healthcare presentation in the Main Street Café. Federal and State legislators spoke to the group about current legislation and other issues pertaining to hospitals and health systems in Ohio. A representative from the Ohio Hospital Association shared information about the challenges the industry is facing, and LMHS President & CEO Rob Montagnese gave an update about actions that LMHS has taken to increase access to quality care.
 
Congressman Troy Balderson, who represents Ohio’s 12th Congressional District, which includes Licking County, is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee which oversees energy, healthcare, and telecommunications policies, among other areas. Rep. Balderson is an advocate for advancing innovations that make it easier for rural Ohioans to access healthcare. He spoke about his support for over 30 healthcare bills which include working toward affordable healthcare, assisting small businesses struggling with covering health insurance, and expanding telehealth access. In June, Rep. Balderson introduced new legislation to enable providers to track and ensure the wellbeing of patients who are prescribed opioids. The Remote Opioid Monitoring Act would create a study focusing on the benefits and efficacy of remote monitoring.
 
State Senator Tim Schaffer, who serves the 20th district, which encompasses Fairfield and Licking County, shared that he is currently working on legislation to exempt certain baby products, such as diapers and car seats, from sales and use tax. Sen. Schaffer hopes to assist families decrease some of the costs associated with caring for children. He also supports a bill to allow children who receive Medicaid at birth to continue to receive coverage until the age of three. Currently, parents must re-enroll a child when they turn one, but many do not, leaving the child without proper care. The new bill offers children continuity of care.
 
Joining Sen. Schaffer in the update on Ohio legislation, State Representative Kevin Miller of the 69th district, discussed a new bill that he proposed to establish an exemption to prior authorization requirements for medical care. The bill requires health insuring corporations, sickness and accident insurers, and Ohio Department of Medicaid, to grant exemptions to requirements of provisional affirmation of coverage before a service, device, or drug is provided to a patient under certain circumstances. He is also supporting legislation to expand Medicaid services to include doulas, a trained professional who is employed to provide guidance and support to a pregnant woman during labor. In addition, Rep. Miller explained that legislators had increased funding for behavioral health, the suicide and crisis hotline, and tobacco cessation programs in the new Ohio budget. Both state legislators hope to find ways to reduce the nursing shortages by increasing grants and loans for education.
 
Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) Senior Vice President & General Counsel Sean McGlone addressed challenges facing the healthcare industry including financial struggles. According to OHA research, of the 186 Acute Care Hospitals in Ohio, only about 40 percent are independent community hospitals. The majority are owned by a larger healthcare system. In 2022, 62 percent of all Ohio healthcare organizations reported operating in the red, making negative financial gains. Of the systems that did report gains, only a handful earned over a 2 percent margin. Four Ohio hospitals were closed permanently, and 10 hospitals closed the obstetric units to save money. Sean cited increases in the cost of labor and supplies as adding to the financial struggles in the industry. While healthcare providers are struggling to fund care, Sean noted concerns about the insurance industry. Most insurance companies enjoyed record profits in 2022 as employer premiums continue to rise. He encouraged the group to continue to have conversations with lawmakers about finding solutions to funding issues.
 
During Rob’s presentation, he was proud to share that LMHS continues to remain independent. Rob discussed many of the free services LMHS offers Licking County residents. The organization is dedicated to providing quality care to all areas of the community, especially those that are underserved. In a recent report from the Ohio Department of Health, it was noted that a person’s zip code is the highest indicator of life expectancy. Rob hopes to continue to increase access to care for all Licking County communities to narrow the life expectancy gap by creating better opportunities to receive needed care.
After the presentations, the panelists answered questions from the participants. The attendees were most concerned about options for small businesses to acquire affordable insurance for their employees and working to better care for those facing challenging mental health issues.