Advocacy Updates

Fall Session Begins

The legislature has returned from its summer recess. They are expected to be in session a handful of times between now and the end of the year. House and Senate Committees are also expected to meet frequently throughout the rest of the year. At the top of their priority list is Congressional redistricting and property tax reform. The Chairs of the House and Senate Health Committees have signaled some of their priorities, and several are of interest to Ohio ACEP.

In Senate Health, Chairman and physician Steve Huffman has expressed intent to pass Ohio ACEP-supported Senate Bill 137, which is sponsored by Senator and physician Terry Johnson. This bill would require hospitals to provide overdose reversal drugs, like naloxone. This initiative is championed by The Naloxone Project. The bill also allows the hospital to seek reimbursement for the drug. No opposition has come forward on this bill to date, so we look forward to seeing action on this bill.

In the House Health Committee, Chairwoman Jean Schmidt has identified two bills as priorities. The first is House Bill 257 regarding medical debt. It would: Cap interest on medical debt at 3%; prohibit medical debt from being reported on a credit report; and prohibit wage garnishment for repayment of medical debt. Ohio ACEP is tracking this legislation, but we have not weighed in formally. 

The other bill is House Bill 162, titled the “My Child-My Chart Act.” This bill would require a healthcare provider to ensure, to the fullest extent permitted under HIPAA and Ohio law, that the minor's parent or guardian has access to the electronic health record system containing their minor child’s health records. HB 162 also requires providers to inform parents annually of the circumstances under which minors can receive care without their consent and remind them that any care obtained without their consent cannot be disclosed unless the minor authorizes it. Ohio ACEP successfully worked with the bill sponsor, Representative Gary Click, on an amendment to the bill that clarified emergency physicians are not required to send annual notifications to patients they have seen. This amendment was accepted at the committee hearing on September 24, 2025.

Ohio ACEP is working on a number of EMS-related bills.

• Senate Bill 220 - Senator Susan Manchester – Would establish insurance coverage for paramedicine services. This would require insurers and Medicaid to reimburse EMS organizations that provide nonemergency medical services to community members. Status: Referred to the Senate Financial Institutions, Insurance, and Technology Committee.
• House Bill 20 – Representatives Thomas Hall and Phil Plummer - 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. Status: Passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 79-18 on June 18, 2025. Currently pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
• House Bill 398- Representative Kelli Deeter and Thomas Hall - Would allow EMTs to perform any of the medical services they are authorized to provide in both non-emergency and emergencies. This would not apply in hospital emergency departments unless the EMS provider has privileges with the hospital. The services would still be performed under the medical director or the cooperating physician advisory board. Ohio ACEP is working with the bill sponsors on changes to the legislation, as the EMS Committee has identified concerns. Status: Sponsor hearing before the House Health Committee on September 24, 2025.
• House Bill 274 - Representatives David Thomas and Thomas Hall - The bill would generally require municipalities and townships to provide EMS and fire services. This can be provided directly by the jurisdiction, under a contract for the services, or as part of a joint district. The bill also creates a grant program under the State Fire Marshal’s office for townships and municipalities to access assistance in complying with the legislation. Status – Sponsor hearing before the House Local Government Committee on May 28, 2025.

Several scope of practice bills have been introduced that are of concern to Ohio ACEP. We will be monitoring these closely and provide opponent testimony should those hearings be scheduled.  Those bills are:

• House Bill 353 would change the title of physician assistants to physician associates. Status: Referred to the House Health Committee.  First hearing scheduled for October 1, 2025.
• Senate Bill 258– Senators George Lang and Mark Romanchuk - Eliminates the requirement to for APNs to have a collaboration agreement after they complete 2000 hours of clinical work. It also allows APNs to be a “collaborating provider” to other APNs if they have completed their 2000 clinical hours and are practicing independently. Status: Not yet referred to a committee.
• House Bill 449 - Representatives Tim Barhorst and Roirdan McClain - Eliminates the requirement to for APNs to have a collaboration agreement after they complete 2000 hours of clinical work. It also allows APNs to be a “collaborating provider” to other APNs if they have completed their 2000 clinical hours and are practicing independently. Status: Not yet referred to a committee.

Ohio ACEP looks forward to continuing to support provider and patient-friendly insurance reforms.

• Senate Bill 162 – Senator Bill Blessing – Limits the time insurers have to recoup payments to the amount of time providers are given to submit claims. It also prohibits insurers from charging a fee to appeal recoupments. Status: Referred to the Senate Financial Institutions, Insurance, and Technology Committee. Sponsor hearing scheduled for September 30^th.
• Senate Bill 164 – Senator Al Cutrona – Prohibits insurers from using AI as the sole basis for making claims decisions. Requires insurers to submit a report to the Ohio Department of Insurance outlining their use of AI. Status: Referred to the Senate Financial Institutions, Insurance, and Technology Committee.
• Senate Bill 165 – Senator Susan Manchester – This is priority legislation for Ohio ACEP. It prohibits insurers from denying claims based solely on “diagnosis code or impression, current ICD code, duration of an appointment as deemed clinically necessary by the enrollee's provider or select procedure code relating to the enrollee's condition.” Clarifies that the prudent layperson standard includes mental health conditions. Specifies that health plans shall not require patients to self-diagnose. Specifies that insurers “shall not reduce or deny a claim for reimbursement based on the absence of an emergency medical condition if a prudent layperson with an average knowledge of health and medicine would have reasonably expected the presence of an emergency medical condition.” Status: Referred to the Senate Financial Institutions, Insurance, and Technology Committee.
• Senate Bill 166 – Senator Nathan Manning – Specifies that insurers are not permitted to charge a provider for receiving reimbursement electronically. Status: Referred to the Senate Medicaid Committee. A version of “No Fees for EFTs” was included in the state’s operating budget.
• House Bill 214 – Representative Kevin Miller – creates a prior authorization gold card. Requires insurers to report data on prior authorization. Status: Sponsor hearing held before the House Insurance Committee on May 20, 2025.
• House Bill 219 – Representative Kellie Deeter – Establishes network adequacy standards. This includes ensuring enrollees have access to emergency services at all times. The Department of Insurance would be charged with establishing the ratios for demonstrating adequacy. Status: Sponsor hearing held before the House Insurance Committee on May 6, 2025.
• House Bill 390- Representative Jean Schmidt – Puts the responsibility of collecting patient co-pays, deductibles, and other cost-sharing amounts on the insurers.  Currently, insurers generally require the provider to collect these cost-sharing amounts and co-pays, even though they are set by the insurer. Under the legislation, this would take effect in January 2027. It also requires all reimbursement for covered services to be made directly to the healthcare provider. Status” Referred to the House Insurance Committee

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.