Telehealth Passes, CMA Testifies on Vaccine Mandate, Medical Marijuana Expansion Considered
Telehealth: HB 122
With strong support from physicians and healthcare organizations, the Ohio Legislature has sent a bill to Governor DeWine that will place into Ohio law provisions that enable telehealth to be part of patient engagement strategies going forward in Ohio past the expiration of the current State Medical Board's enforcement provisions. For details:
Vaccine Mandates: HB 218
This bill received its second hearing this week in a Senate Committee.
There were 87 entities that submitted testimony - 4 in favor, and 83 in opposition, including the CMA Public Policy testimony from Co-Chairs Drs. Stephanie Costa and Bill Cotton, along with CMA CEO Dr. Bob Falcone. Additionally, there were individual physicians who submitted their comments.
The arguments remain the same: opposition is based on public health science/strategy and employer rights to set conditions of employment; while support is based on "individual medical freedom". Major employer groups and medical voices remain in opposition.
A couple of Republican Senators on the Committee expressed some general sentiments of being inclined to support employers’ rights. Additionally, one member, Senator Bob Hackett (from Madison County) actually cites public health data in his questions and when expressing his skepticism about the bill.
There is no clear next step, if any, for HB 218. No future plans have been announced. Senate leadership has said there is sentiment to support employer rights in their caucus, but they have stopped short of saying that they will kill this bill.
Vaccine Mandates: Potential Initiative Petition
Supporters of restricting vaccination mandates have been unsuccessful so far in getting the Ohio Legislature to pass a new law in this area. Some of these supporters are moving down the path of circulating petitions for an initiative that would be pretty close to the most severe restrictions of their original legislative proposals. Here is a copy of their submission to the Ohio Attorney General that summarizes their intent. Note that the AG has said more work needs to be done on clarity of the proposal before the petition process can begin.
Medical Marijuana Expansion Clears Senate Committee: SB 261
This bill would make changes to oversight and production of medical marijuana, as well as expand the explicit conditions for which marijuana could be recommended. In addition to the expanded list, physician authority is expanded to allow recommendation of marijuana for a treatment for any condition if the physician, in the physician’s sole discretion and medical opinion, finds either of the following:
That the patient’s symptoms may reasonably be expected to be relieved from medical marijuana;
That the patient may otherwise reasonably be expected to benefit from medical marijuana.
This bill has yet to pass the entire Senate, and then it must go to the House of Representatives.