AMCNO Meets with Speaker of the Ohio House – Rep. Armond Budish

The AMCNO Legislative Committee met recently with the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives Armond Budish to discuss the physician ranking legislation (HB 122) and other health care related issues. The physicians on the committee stressed upon Rep. Budish the need for legislation to address the issue of physician ranking by insurance companies in Ohio. The committee also discussed items contained in the final Ohio budget and voiced our concern about the decision to impose franchise fees on hospitals and the provision to create a study committee to look at provider franchise fees, since the Medicaid program is growing faster than the General Revenue Fund. The AMCNO informed the Speaker that we would like to be involved in this study committee debate since this could have an impact on our members. The committee also discussed the current status of the health care reform bill at the federal level and provided the Speaker with a copy of the AMCNO letter to Congress voicing our concerns with the reform bill (see AMCNO web site for a copy of the letter to Congress at www.amcnoma.org under Health Care Reform). In addition, the legislative committee provided the Speaker with some suggestions on how to change the charitable immunity law in Ohio to address the issue of providing services to the underinsured on a volunteer basis. Speaker Budish was also extended an invitation to participate in the upcoming AMCNO mini-internship program as well as an invitation to our upcoming legislative lunch events in October.