04/18/2024

Legislative Update: Gender Affirming Care Legislation for Ohio Youth Temporarily Blocked by Judge

April 18, 2024 – This week, a Franklin County judge issued a temporary injunction for the enforcement of House Bill 68, legislation which would prevent transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming care.

04/18/2024

OSMA’s Advocacy Results in Directive from the Department of Insurance on Change Healthcare

April 18, 2024 – Last month, OSMA and OHA sent a joint letter to the Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI), requesting a directive be sent to all licensed health insurers in Ohio to create flexibility for physicians' and hospitals' interactions with payers due to the major disruption caused by the Change Healthcare cyberattack. Last week, ODI followed through on this request and sent a notice to all payers outlining the specific requests that we made.

04/17/2024

BWC Virtual Provider Forum on Physician’s Report of Work Ability is April 24—Have Your Voice Heard

April 17, 2024 – If your practice sees patients covered by worker’s compensation, you now have a chance to interact with the Bureau’s leadership and medical directors regarding the Physician’s Report of Work Ability. BWC sent out the following notice—don’t miss your chance to connect with key leaders and physicians.

04/11/2024

2024 OSMA Annual Meeting Recap

April 11, 2024 – This past weekend, OSMA members from across the state gathered together in Columbus for the OSMA Annual Meeting—an opportunity to network, share ideas, and conduct important policy work on behalf of their profession and their patients. Read on for a full summary of the event's happenings.

04/11/2024

Why It's Vital to Choose a Doctor-Owned Medical Malpractice Insurer

April 11, 2024 – Choosing a medical malpractice insurer involves more than just reviewing the cost of premiums—physicians must consider which insurer has their best interests at heart.

03/28/2024

Spring Legislative Preview

March 28, 2024 – Now that the March 19 primary elections have passed, the Ohio Legislature is expected to return to the Statehouse for a flurry of activity shortly after the upcoming holiday. The Ohio House and Senate will conduct a series of hearings and sessions from mid-April up until the legislators depart back to their districts for the summer recess and to campaign for the general election this fall.

03/26/2024

Are You Being Paid 2024 Rates? Check Your Medicaid Claims

March 26, 2024 – As a result of OSMA advocacy efforts last year, on Jan. 1 Ohio increased the Medicaid fee schedule resulting in the majority of codes increasing by 5% with a cumulative impact of about $400 million in new funding. The implementation of the increase has been challenging and it's essential that practices review their claims payment history since Jan. 1 to ensure you are receiving the appropriate increase.

03/21/2024

OSMA Seeks Ohio Department of Insurance Action on Change Healthcare Cyberattack

March 21, 2024 – OSMA and the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) sent a joint letter to the Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI) to direct commercial health insurance plans in Ohio to provide administrative and financial relief for physician practices and hospitals impacted by the cyberattack on Change Healthcare.

03/20/2024

Partial Medicare Fee Schedule Fix Passed and Implemented

March 20, 2024 – While not erasing the entire 3.37 percent cut that went into effect on January 1, recent passage of the Consolidated Appropriation Act created a 1.68 percent update to the Medicare Physician Payment Schedule conversion factor.

03/14/2024

CMS Announces MIPS Deadline Changes and Advanced Payments for Change Healthcare Issues

March 14, 2024 – Earlier this week, CMS made two announcements regarding proactive activities to address the challenges physicians and other healthcare providers are experiencing as a result of the Change Healthcare cyberattack. One addresses opportunities for practices to receive advanced payment, and the other extends the deadline for MIPS 2023 data submission to April 15.

03/10/2024

Remember to Verify/Update Your Provider Information

March 10, 2024 – Last week, the Ohio Department of Medicaid sent out an important reminder to all physicians regarding verifying your information in the Provider Network Management Provider Directory.

03/07/2024

How Cyberattacks are Crippling Ohio's Health Care Systems

March 7, 2024 – OSMA President, Dr. Eric Drobny, recently talked with the Columbus Dispatch about why the cyberattack on Change Healthcare is having such a ripple effect on the healthcare industry, how practices may continue to see impacts for weeks to come, and the OSMA’s role in supporting members.

03/07/2024

Cyberattack on Change Healthcare – Latest Information

March 7, 2024 – Over the last two weeks, since the Feb. 21 cyberattack on Change Healthcare, members have contacted OSMA about the major disruption the attack has caused to their practices. While the process of resolving the issue is ongoing, OSMA has been working with our state and national partners to ensure we’re providing the latest information to members. In the last few days, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) and the AMA have released updates and resources.

03/05/2024

COMPLIANCE: Preventative Medicine for Your Practice

March 5, 2024 – Every healthcare organization since 2010 has been required to have, not only a compliance program, but an effective one. Unfortunately, compliance sometimes is referred to in a negative way. It really shouldn’t be. It needs to be the culture of your practice. That is, if you want to be sustainable and successful.

03/05/2024

CMS Education Session: Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule

March 5, 2024 – Last week, CMS announced it will provide a virtual education session March 26, 2024, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM regarding its recently finalized rule on interoperability and prior authorization.

02/23/2024

2023 Foundation Donor Recognition

Feb 23, 2024 – In recognition of contributions January 1, 2023 through February 7, 2024—as well as our Founders Society of donors who have given accumulatively, $1,846 or greater since April 2021.

02/23/2024

A Unified Call to Action

Feb 23, 2024 – As we continue to support and expand the Well-Being CARE service, we invite you to join us in this vital initiative.

02/21/2024

February Legislative Update

January 21, 2024 – This month, your OSMA Advocacy team has been working extensively behind the scenes with legislators and other interested parties on several key issues, preparing for upcoming legislative sessions next week and later this spring after the primary election.

02/20/2024

Celebrating Black History Month - Dr. Chatman feature

February 20, 2024 – In honor of Black History Month, we’re profiling some of the African American physician pioneers in Ohio, including past OSMA president Dr. Chatman.

02/20/2024

Celebrating Black History Month - Dr. Armstrong feature

February 20, 2024 – In honor of Black History Month, we’re profiling some of the African American physician pioneers in Ohio, including past OSMA president Dr. Armstrong.

02/15/2024

Medical Board Update

February 15, 2024 – On February 14, the State Medical Board of Ohio accepted review of two potential additional qualifying conditions for a medical marijuana recommendation. Those conditions are (1) Female Orgasmic Difficulty Disorder and (2) Autism Spectrum Disorder.

02/12/2024

HHS Updates Opioid Treatment Program Regulations for First Time in 20 Years

February 12, 2024 – Last week the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published new rules related to opioid treatment and issued the following statement.

02/06/2024

Managed Care Entity Claim Denial Resources Available

February 6, 2024 – Last week, the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) sent out a notice on its new Reimbursement Information Page. See the full notice here, and be sure to provide the page and resources to your claims processing staff.

02/06/2024

CMS Releases New 2024 Resources on Quality Payment Programs

February 5, 2024 – Last week, CMS notified all providers to review updated resources and information related to many of its Qualify Payment Programs. Be sure to review this information and share the resources with your staff.

01/25/2024

Recent Override of Two Gubernatorial Vetoes

January 25, 2024 – An update on: Governor DeWine’s veto of House Bill 68, the gender-affirming care legislation, being overridden by a vote in the Ohio House, as well as information about the regulatory process surrounding the development of new administrative rules regarding gender transition care for Ohioans under the age of 21.

01/24/2024

Free PPE Offered by Department of Health

January 24, 2024 – The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is offering non-sterile personal protective equipment (PPE) to you at no charge. The PPE (gloves, masks, gowns, hand sanitizer, etc.) was purchased as part of Ohio‘s public health response during the COVID-19 pandemic.

01/23/2024

Important Reminders From Ohio Medicaid

January 23, 2024 – The Ohio Department of Medicaid just sent out the following important update for physicians. Be sure to check your renewal status, and remind your patients to check their Medicaid coverage.

01/18/2024

Ohio Legislative Update!

January 18, 2024 – Last week, despite strong and consistent advocacy efforts by OSMA and a large coalition of medical organizations, members of the Ohio House of Representatives returned to Columbus in order to vote to overturn Governor DeWine’s veto of House Bill 68. As a reminder, HB 68 would ban gender-affirming care – including use of hormones, puberty blockers, and surgeries – for patients in Ohio under the age of 18. Also, members of the Ohio House have unanimously voted to pass House Bill 179—on vicarious liability in tort actions, and provides that the tolling of the limitations period during the defendant's absence or concealment does not apply to statutes of repose.

01/18/2024

Legal Update: Physician Wrongful Death Liability Claim Protections Upheld

January 18, 2024 – The Ohio Supreme Court confirmed limits on physician liability in wrongful death cases late in 2023.

01/17/2024

CMS Announces Final Rules Regulation Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization

January 17, 2024 – We are pleased to report that earlier this week, CMS announced its final rule package that will address some of the challenges physicians face with the prior authorization system.

01/03/2024

New Year Brings Medicaid Rate Increase for Ohio Physicians

January 3, 2024 – On January 1, the majority of the codes in the Ohio Medicaid fee schedule for non-institutional providers (this includes physicians) increased by 5% or more—thus resulting in $415 million in additional funding this year. Additionally, fee schedules for ambulatory surgery centers, vision services, and others have also increased. Securing the Medicaid rate increase was OSMA’s top legislative priority in 2023!

12/19/2023

Thank You for Your Support in 2023!

December 19, 2023 – We're looking forward to 2024... I want to thank every OSMA member for their support and for being a passionate advocate for our profession. During the past year, OSMA staff and leadership were involved in a wide variety of activities that I hope have benefitted every physician in Ohio—and will continue to do so. 2023 highlights include... 

12/15/2023

OSMA December Legislative Update

December 15, 2023 – The Ohio Legislature has completed its activities and recessed until the New Year, and the past several weeks at the Statehouse have been a whirlwind of hearings, meetings, and legislative sessions as legislators prepared to wind down for the holidays. Here’s a review of important and recent updates on issues your OSMA advocacy team has been involved in this year, and a brief peek at what these developments mean for our advocacy agenda in 2024.

12/14/2023

Take Action Now: New Medicare Payment Fix Bill Introduced

December 14, 2023 – As we have informed OSMA members over the last two months, unless Congress takes action, the 2024 Medicare physician fee schedule includes a 3.37% payment cut for physicians.

12/14/2023

State Medical Board and Ohio Legal Update

December 14, 2023 – The State Medical Board of Ohio (SMBO) met on December 13 to finalize the election of Board members, while the Supreme Court of Ohio has ordered the parties in Preterm Cleveland v Yost to submit briefs in the wake of the passage of Issue 2.

12/13/2023

Attention Medical Students: 2024 Fellowship Opportunity

December 13, 2023 – Have free time this upcoming summer?  Want to get a hands-on advocacy experience? The Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA) is looking for a driven and personable medical student for a 6-8 week internship in summer 2024!

12/06/2023

Advocacy Update: Help Avert the Medicare Payment Cut!

November 28, 2023 – In addition to our direct advocacy efforts, we’re asking members to contact Congress to help fix Medicare now. We need everyone’s help to avert the cut.

12/06/2023

OSMA Advocacy Leads to More Than $400 Million in Increased Medicaid Reimbursement

November 28, 2023 – OSMA’s top legislative priority for 2023 was to increase Medicaid reimbursement for physicians. Working with the administration, a provision to increase the Medicaid fee schedule was included in the initial budget proposal and remained in the version passed by both the House and Senate—and ultimately signed by the governor at the end of June.

12/04/2023

Need Help with Workers’ Compensation Issues?

December 4, 2023 – BWC Provider Engagement directors are available to serve as your personal contacts at the BWC. They offer you the latest updates, expertise, and convey your information regarding issues or concerns that need immediate attention. Reach out to a Provider Engagement director as soon as you need help with workers’ compensation and injury-management issues.

12/04/2023

Should You Offer Your Services as a Paid Clinical Expert?

December 4, 2023 – Healthcare practitioners frequently serve as independent experts in professional liability claims. You may be contacted by an attorney who asks you to review a case and render an opinion involving patient care provided by other medical, dental, or advanced practice clinicians.

11/27/2023

Medicaid Fee-for-Service Claim Denials & Reprocessing

November 27, 2023 – Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) and its Ohio Medicaid Enterprise System vendors are diligently focused on providing transparency and visibility regarding care and services.

11/26/2023

Improving Women’s Health in Primary Care

November 26, 2023 – The Weitzman ECHO interactive learning series for Ohio primary care medical providers, behavioral health providers, and other care team members will explore the complexity of common women’s health needs.

11/26/2023

Lead-Free Ohio Initiative

November 26, 2023 – Childhood lead poisoning continues to be a significant public health issue in Ohio. The Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics is offering new programming to assist practices and participate in the Lead-Free Ohio initiative.

11/14/2023

National Overdose Epidemic Report—How is Ohio Doing?

November 14, 2023 – Last week, the American Medical Association (AMA) released its 2023 Overdose Epidemic Report. It finds opioid prescribing by physicians and other health professionals decreased for the 13th consecutive year, down nearly 50% since 2012, while overdoses and deaths related to illicitly manufactured fentanyl, xylazine and other synthetic substances continue to increase.

11/14/2023

Be Aware—New Scam Targets Physicians in the Midwest

November 14, 2023 – This fall, physicians in the Midwest have been targeted in a very aggressive and dangerous financial scam. Be aware—here is what is happening...

11/14/2023

OSMA Working in the Courts to Protect Resident/Fellow Privacy

November 14, 2023 – This summer, OSMA’s legal team worked with several other physician and healthcare organizations to file an amicus brief in an important Ohio case arguing that peer review files of resident physicians should be held in confidence and not subject to discovery.

11/09/2023

No Surprises Act Update & Medical Board Meeting Summary

November 9, 2023 – As Congress enacted the No Surprises Act in 2020 to address the issue of “surprise medical bills” for patients and provider payment issues, the Biden administration has proposed a recent rule specifically addressing the Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process. And as a reminder, this summer the Board eliminated the previous One Bite Program addressing physician substance use impairment in favor of a vastly more appropriate program structure.

11/09/2023

Election Recap: Ohio Voters Pass Issues 1 & 2

November 9, 2023 – After weeks of early in-person and absentee mail-in voting, the 2023 general election culminated in this week’s Election Day, with many Ohioans heading out to the polls to cast their votes on Tuesday. Numerous local races all over the state were decided by Ohio voters, and in the evening after the polls closed, all eyes were on the incoming results, particularly concerning statewide ballot issues 1 and 2.

11/08/2023

Upcoming Trainings: Ohio Medical Board’s New Confidential Monitoring Program

November 8, 2023 – The State Medical Board of Ohio (SMBO) developed a Confidential Monitoring Program in partnership with the Ohio Professionals Health Program (OhioPHP) for all licensees and applicants. This program is a confidential path for individuals to seek help for burnout, mental health, substance use disorders, and a therapeutic alternative to regulatory awareness.

11/01/2023

Medicare & Medicaid Updates: Important Reminders For Your Practice

November 1, 2023 – Over the last two weeks, OSMA has received a number of updates from CMS and Ohio Medicaid regarding Medicare and Medicaid coverage and reimbursement. Be sure to know the latest information on the MIPS Data Validation and Audit, Medicaid open enrollment process and deadline, and the Medicaid provider revalidation.

10/31/2023

AI and Healthcare: Past, Present, Promise, and Peril

October 31, 2023 – Artificial intelligence has gained a strong foothold in healthcare. This article from The Doctors Company and TDC Group, offers guidance on how healthcare providers should exercise extreme caution and diligence when utilizing AI in their practices.

10/26/2023

Report from OSMA Delegation to the AMA

October 26, 2023 – The OSMA Delegation to the American Medical Association (AMA) had the privilege of representing our association at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates (HOD), from June 9 to 14 in Chicago, Illinois. The business of this Annual Meeting is robust and diverse in both range and topic. There were several hundred items of business (reports and resolutions) considered at the meeting. The Delegation worked throughout the summer to summarize our activities at the meeting for review by the OSMA Council and membership.

10/25/2023

Important Announcement from ODM on Claims Payment

October 25, 2023 – OSMA just received the following update and announcement from Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) regarding current claims denial issues.

10/19/2023

Advocacy Update: OSMA Advocates for Physicians on Numerous Major Issues

October 19, 2023 –Over the past few weeks, the Ohio Statehouse has been bustling with hearings, interested party meetings, and other activity, and your OSMA advocacy team, along with several OSMA physician members, have been busy in downtown Columbus to make physician voices heard.

10/19/2023

State Medical Board Confidential Monitoring Program Replaces One-Bite Program – What to Know

October 19, 2023 –The new program provides individual treatment plans and confidential (non-disciplinary) programming, along with the inclusion of physical and mental health related impairment in addition to substance abuse.

10/18/2023

GOP Doctors Caucus Releases Draft Reforms to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

October 18, 2023 – Earlier this month the GOP Doctors Caucus released a discussion draft of legislation seeking to reform the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS).  In the press release, the Caucus outlined three main areas it hoped to address.

10/12/2023

Physician Foundation Fellowship Program

October 12, 2023 – Applications are Due Nov. 16. The Physician Foundation provided OSMA with the following announcement we’re providing to all members and encouraging those eligible and interested to apply.

10/04/2023

Ohio Medicaid Releases 2024 Fee Schedule Draft

October 4, 2023 – Earlier this year, OSMA was successful in advocating for a Medicaid rate increase in the state budget. A top priority for OSMA, in its entirety, for the 18-month period starting in January, estimates are that the increase should result in more than $200 million in new funding for physician professional services.

10/04/2023

Medicaid Claim Submission Reminders

October 4, 2023 – The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) recently provided an update on claims submissions for all Ohio physician practices. ODM is giving providers some important reminders and clarification on common questions.

10/03/2023

Important MIPS Dates & Upcoming Deadlines

October 3, 2023 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sent out the following communication to remind physicians and practices about important dates related to the MIPS program. Be sure to update your calendars with these key dates and activities.

09/29/2023

OSMA Statement on Ohio Issues 1 and 2

September 29, 2023 – Press release: Columbus, Ohio – Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA), the state’s largest and oldest physician-led organization, issues the following statement on Ohio’s November ballot initiatives.

09/26/2023

Important Reminders on Ohio Medicaid Claim Submissions

September 26, 2023 – The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) recently provided the following update on claims submissions for all Ohio physician practices.

09/26/2023

Physician Well-Being Reflection from Our OSMA President

September 26, 2023 – Earlier this month I had the privilege of participating in an extremely important event and campaign focused on improving physician well-being and normalizing the discussion on mental health.

09/20/2023

Ohio Legislature Returns for the Fall: What’s on OSMA’s Agenda?

September 20, 2023 – Along with monitoring dozens of pieces of legislation so far this year, there are several items we will be focusing our advocacy efforts on heading into late September, October, and beyond.

09/19/2023

Regulatory & State Medical Board of Ohio Update

September 19, 2023 – The State Medical Board of Ohio (SMBO) has been working extensively to revise the regulatory structure for physicians in need of help with substance abuse, a mental health condition, or a physical impairment. Additionally, get an update on the Federal "No Surprises Act."

09/14/2023

National Physician Suicide Awareness Information

September 14, 2023 – OSMA is partnering with Disappearing Doctors to cohost an event The Disposables—an original collection of portraits honoring the 400+ physicians who die by suicide each year. The Disposables—created by artist Jeremy Rosario—depicts handcrafted portraits made from donated disposable medical supplies from doctors’ workplaces. The portraits will be on display for public viewing at the COhatch The Gateway starting on Monday Sept. 18 through Oct. 20.

09/05/2023

Health Insurance Coverage for your Practice

September 5, 2023 – One of the biggest costs facing employers today continues to be health insurance coverage for their employees. Costs are rising and coverage continues to change year to year...

09/05/2023

Noncomplaint Patients Increase Liability Risks for Practitioners

September 5, 2023 – The Doctors Company, outlines a number of patient safety strategies to manage noncompliant patients.

08/24/2023

2024 OSMA Annual Meeting – Key Dates & Deadlines

August 24, 2023 – OSMA's Annual Meeting will take place April 5-7, 2024 at the Renaissance Polaris Hotel in Columbus. We look forward to seeing everyone—and in the meantime, here is what to plan for...

08/23/2023

CMS Seeking Comments on Quality Payment Program in 2024 Physician Fee Schedule Changes

August 23, 2023 – Provide your feedback on the proposed changes to the Quality Payment Program by September 11. CMS recently sent out the following request to all physicians...

08/17/2023

Save these Dates to Connect with OSMA's Leadership Team

August 17, 2023 – Join our live updates on the following dates for a brief audio interaction on how your OSMA team is working to advance important state legislative and regulatory issues that protect you and your patients.

08/17/2023

OSMA Collaborates to Reform Medicare’s Payment System

August 17, 2023 – OSMA has joined with the AMA and other state and national medical association to reform Medicare’s broken physician payment system. The AMA sent the below alert to physicians across the country to contact members of congress when their home for the August recess. We encourage all OSMA members to contact congress and stress the importance of fixing Medicare now.

08/08/2023

Meet OSMA Foundation Summer Scholar, Adriane Weininger

Aug 8, 2023 – Adriane is working at the VA hospital in Columbus on a quality improvement project to identify gaps in behavioral health and find ways to minimize them—as well as also trying to identify why there are missed opportunities (no-shows) and if there is an overarching reason behind it.

08/04/2023

CMS Announces New Dementia Model

August 4, 2023 – On July 31, CMS made the following announcement regarding a new dementia model.

08/04/2023

OSMA Advocacy Priorities for Physician & Patient Mental Health Passed in Ohio Budget

August 4, 2023 – During the spring state budget process, OSMA advocated for funding to secure the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in Ohio, and changes to how to better protect physicians' personal data on the medical board's website.

08/02/2023

Young Physician Section: Your Input Needed!

August 2, 2023 – The Young Physician Section (YPS) of OSMA would like YPS member thoughts on starting a series of informal virtual gatherings to address a variety of issues of importance to you in support of your professional and personal life. These will be private virtual meetings open only to OSMA YPS members.

08/02/2023

OSMA Advocacy Delivers: Medicaid Physician Fee Schedule Increase Coming in 2024

August 2, 2023 – During the spring state budget process, OSMA advocated for an increase in the Medicaid physician fee schedule. The final passed and signed version included language for a 5% increase.

08/01/2023

Dealing With Online Patient Complaints

August 1, 2023 – Clinicians are understandably concerned about their reputations and the consequences of any negative comments posted about them on social media platforms. Although the web can be a powerful tool for healthcare practices, it becomes problematic when patients post unfavorable opinions.

08/01/2023

Meet OSMA Foundation Summer Scholar, Connor Riegal

Aug 1, 2023 – Connor is pursuing internship opportunity at Stanford University in the Brain Stimulation Lab to conduct research focused on novel approaches to treat psychiatric illness using deep brain stimulation as well as using neuroimaging to find predictive markets for the prognosis of these conditions.

07/26/2023

Meet OSMA Foundation Summer Scholar, Michaela Stamper

July 26, 2023 – Michaela is working to conduct interviews of relevant stakeholders across the Northeast Ohio community to do an in-depth analysis of the current state of minority community needs and access to care and resources.

07/25/2023

Regulatory/Medical Board Update

July 25, 2023 – The State Medical Board of Ohio met on Wednesday, July 12—updating the list of conditions treatable with medical marijuana to 26, and amending license application questions to align with nationally recognized mental health practices for physicians.

07/25/2023

2024 Proposed Medicare Physician Payment Schedule

July 25, 2023 – Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the proposed rule for the calendar year (CY) 2024 Medicare Physician Payment Schedule. Our advocacy partners at the national level, the American Medical Association (AMA), provided the following overview of key provisions.

07/24/2023

National Study to Document Changes in Physician Practice Expense—Your Input is Needed

July 24, 2023 – The American Medical Association (AMA) is undertaking a new national study, supported by 173 healthcare organizations, (including the OSMA) to collect representative data on physician practice expenses. The aim of the Physician Practice Information (PPI) Survey is to better understand the costs faced by today’s physician practices to support physician payment advocacy.

07/20/2023

Monthly Advocacy Update from Monica Hueckel

July 20, 2023 – Hear firsthand from OSMA's advocacy leadership on current issues we're working on in the legislative space, including state budget wins for physicians and the practice of medicine, insurance and prior auth issues, public health topics, and some recent scope of practice activity.

07/13/2023

Are Insurance Companies Paying You Correctly?—OSMA Can Help

July 13, 2023 – You have analyzed your contracts, negotiated with the payers, and set new rates. Your job may look finished, but the fun is just starting! Short of reviewing every EOB and ERA, how can you ensure that the new rates are loaded correctly and that procedures are paid appropriately? What are medical practices nationwide doing to confirm that claims are being paid according to contract? What about multiple procedure discounts, modifiers, different rates for different specialties, and other contracting nuances? Should you take a different approach to underpayments vs. denials?

07/12/2023

Provider Funding Available for Patient Nicotine Cessation Efforts

July 12, 2023 – New funding is available for health, medical, behavioral health, and dental providers to help them develop or improve their patient nicotine cessation policies, procedures, and practices through the Ohio Department of Health Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Program (TUPCP). Up to $5,100 is available based on the completion of several deliverables.

07/11/2023

Meet OSMA Foundation Summer Scholar, Aditya Mistry

July 11, 2023 – Aditya's research focuses on social determinants of health for PSA screening of individuals with prostate cancer, and analyzing surgical intervention vs. conservational management of large Staghorn kidney stones.

07/05/2023

State Budget Bill Passed, Signed by Governor

OSMA Champions New Medicaid Physician Payment Increase Included in Budget Legislation

July 5, 2023 – This spring, the Ohio Legislature embarked on the biennial state budget process, tasked with passing legislation creating the budget for fiscal years 2024-2025. The Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA)’s Government Relations team engaged with legislators on many health care budget items from the start, when the governor’s initial proposal for the budget was released.

06/28/2023

Meet OSMA Foundation Summer Scholar, Ethan Kosco

June 28, 2023 – Ethan is pursuing an orthopedic spine surgery internship at the Harvard University Medical School Brigham and Women’s Hospital, applying knowledge of regenerative medicine, learning research skills in the stem cell vertebral disc degeneration lab, and observing how research is translated in the operating room.

06/27/2023

IMG Member Spotlight with John A. Sharma, MD

June 27, 2023 – OSMA is proud to be launching the International Medical Graduate (IMG) Section. Recognizing that physicians representing international medical schools bring a wealth of diversity and are a vital part of Ohio’s physician community.

06/27/2023

IMG Member Spotlight with Mohammed M. A. Hakim, MD

June 27, 2023 – OSMA is proud to be launching the International Medical Graduate (IMG) Section. Recognizing that physicians representing international medical schools bring a wealth of diversity and are a vital part of Ohio’s physician community.

06/22/2023

Meet OSMA Foundation Summer Scholar, Sydney Bitting

June 22, 2023 – My summer internship involves research in my interestes of neurology and PM&R. In addition to this research, I am working on a hematology-oncology case report through Akron Children's Hospital and am volunteering at the Akron Rotary Camp that supports children with disabilities.

06/21/2023

AMA Annual Meeting Recap – Ohio Well Represented by OSMA Members

June 21, 2023 – Earlier this month the American Medical Association (AMA) held its annual meeting in Chicago. The OSMA Delegation was extremely active in the policy making process.

06/20/2023

IMG Member Spotlight with Rajpal S. Aujla, MD

June 20, 2023 – OSMA is proud to be launching the International Medical Graduate (IMG) Section. Recognizing that physicians representing international medical schools bring a wealth of diversity and are a vital part of Ohio’s physician community.

06/19/2023

You Did It! We've Reached Our Spring Fundraising Goal

June 19, 2023 - Thanks to your generosity, our goal of raising $20,000 by June has been met—continuing our dedication to Fueling Physician Futures!

06/15/2023

OSMA Provides Key Supportive Testimony for Ohio Prior Authorization “Gold Card” Bill

June 15, 2023 – HB 130 was introduced in the Ohio House in March by Rep. Kevin Miller (R-Newark), and is one of OSMA’s major legislative advocacy priorities this year. The bill, if enacted, would create an exemption system that rewards Ohio healthcare providers who consistently receive a prior authorization approval rate of 80% or more for a specific service, device, or drug in the prior 12-month period.

06/14/2023

OSMA Supports AMA “Fix Medicare Now” Initiative

June 14, 2023 – In addition to reforming prior authorization at the state and federal level, OSMA joins the AMA and organized medicine across the country to fix major flaws in the Medicare physician fee schedule.

06/14/2023

Meet OSMA Foundation Summer Scholar, Trent James

June 14, 2023 – My summer internship involves research on alveolar clefts in the Plastic Surgery Department of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center.

06/06/2023

Medicare & Medicaid Updates—Registration is Open!

June 6, 2023 – Join us for OSMA's annual Medicare & Medicaid Updates with tips, policies and resources—keeping you in compliance, and helping to get your claims paid in a timely, appropriate way. Payer rules and policies are constantly changing!

06/06/2023

New MATE Act's 8-Hour Training Requirements

June 6, 2023 – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released materials in March 2023 related to the new Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act. The Act requires new or renewing DEA licensees, as of June 27, 2023, to have completed a total of at least eight hours of training on opioid or other substance use disorders and the appropriate treatment of pain.

06/05/2023

Meet OSMA Foundation Summer Scholar, Elizabeth Abrams

June 5, 2023 – My summer internship is a research project through Ohio State University College of Medicine, with the Department of Emergency Medicine.

06/01/2023

A Focus on Men's Health Month—Q&A with Eric Drobny, MD

June 1, 2023 – Men’s Health Month is in June. Why do you think it’s important to recognize Men’s Health Month and put an emphasis on this area? 

05/31/2023

Post Public Health Emergency FAQ

May 31, 2022 – The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) ended on May 11, 2023, which changes many federal policies established during the pandemic. OSMA is working to keep members updated as guidance is available.

05/31/2023

Cigna Update to Modifier 25 Policy

May 31, 2022 – Cigna has updated its modifier 25 policy to announce a delay in implementing the required submission of documentation to support the use of modifier 25 when billed with E/M CPT codes 99212 – 99215 and a minor procedure.

05/30/2023

Our 2023 Summer Scholars Recipients!

May 30, 2023 - Thanks to your generosity, we are thrilled to introduce the 2023 cohort of OSMA Foundation Summer Scholars scholarship recipients! Look for more in-depth profiles of each of these Summer Scholars throughout June and July. The future of medicine is certainly bright.

05/25/2023

Take Action: Contact Congress to Fix Prior Authorization

May 25, 2023 – In addition to our efforts at the state level with HB 130, OSMA is also involved with our national and state partners to reform prior authorization practices in Medicare Advantage plans.

05/25/2023

Introducing OSMA’s New President: A Q&A with Eric Drobny, MD

May 23, 2023 – We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Drobny as our new President, and we thank Dr. Brian Santin who tactfully completed his term. Read on to learn more about Dr. Drobny, his medical career, and his vision for leading OSMA.

05/24/2023

Medical Liability Claim Frequency Study

May 24, 2023 – A new analysis from the American Medical Association (AMA) finds the possibility of being sued during a career in medicine is very real for most doctors, which is notable given that most claims end with no finding of negligence or error.

05/17/2023

OSMA Spring Legislative Update

May 17, 2023 - The OSMA government relations team continues activity related to the state budget bill, which recently passed out of the Ohio House and is now in hearings in the Ohio Senate Finance Committee. As summer approaches, OSMA has been involved in advocacy efforts regarding several pieces of legislation in the last few weeks.

05/16/2023

Public Health Emergency Ends

May 16, 2023 - On Thursday, May 11, 2023, the federally declared Public Health Emergency (PHE) ended. As many flexibilities for physicians and practices were provided by federal regulatory agencies during the PHE, it is important to know which, if any, of those flexibilities will be going away.

05/09/2023

Volunteer Opportunities with OSMA—We Need Your Input!

May 9, 2023 - After our annual meeting, we reach out to members looking for volunteers to participate in key organizational initiatives. This year, we’re hoping you will consider volunteering for one of the following committees...

05/08/2023

COVID-19 Vaccine Expiration Reminder

May 8, 2023 - This week, the Ohio Department of Health sent out a reminder to providers of COVID-19 vaccines about recent expiration awareness. NOTE: All remaining doses of Johnson & Johnson (J&J)/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine expired on Saturday, May 6, 2023. 

05/08/2023

Curbside Consultations: Patient Safety and Legal Risks

May 8, 2023 – Informal, or “curbside,” consultations among healthcare practitioners represent an important part of clinical practice and help to promote a collegial relationship in both the clinic and hospital settings.

05/04/2023

Medicare Annual Visits: How to make them work in your office

May 4, 2023 - Medicare annual wellness visits provide an important opportunity to promote health and to provide disease screening and advance care planning with patients who have Medicare. However, billing for the wrong visit or at the wrong time can result in denied claims.

05/04/2023

Tort Reform in Ohio: 20-Year Anniversary Reflections

May 4, 2023 – OSMA Exclusive Partner, The Doctors Company (TDC) CEO and Chairman, Dr. Richard Anderson reflects on the history of tort reform in Ohio.

05/03/2023

Are Employee Health Insurance Costs Giving You a Headache?

May 3, 2023 – OSMA can help. According to a recent survey of 1,000 employers by Forbes Advisor, employer-sponsored health coverage is the most important benefit to employees in 2023. Yet one of the biggest costs facing employers today continues to be health insurance coverage for employees.

05/03/2023

United Healthcare to Reduce Prior Authorizations

May 3, 2023 - OSMA's continued focus at the state and federal level is starting to result in individual plans announcing revisions to prior authorization practices. We’re also supporting HB 130 in Ohio that creates a prior authorization gold card and we anticipate additional legislation in Ohio related to prior authorization and billing later this year.

05/03/2023

Updates to Coverage for COVID-19 Tests

May 3, 2023 - The ending of the Public Health Emergency may impact an individual’s coverage of COVID-19 tests. CMS is encouraging that you know these changes and share the New Consumer Fact Sheet on COVID-19 tests.

04/27/2023

OSMA Advocates for Medicare Physician Payment Changes

April 27, 2023 – OSMA has joined with more than 120 other state and national medical societies communicating our support to the sponsors of H.R. 2474—the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act.

04/25/2023

Advocacy Update on Non-Compete Proposed Rule 

April 25, 2023 – In January of this year, the Federal Trade Commission issued notice of a proposed rule which would prohibit non-compete agreements between nearly every employee/employer under the FTC’s jurisdiction, including physician employment agreements.

04/24/2023

Webinars to Help Prepare for the End of the Public Health Emergency

April 24, 2023 - On May 11, 2023, the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) is set to expire. Healthcare providers continue to implement COVID protocols and navigate the ever-changing healthcare regulations at both the federal and state levels, therefore it is important to take time to prepare for the ending of the Public Health Emergency (PHE). Here are some webinars to help you plan...

04/24/2023

OSMA/National Response to Cigna's Re-release of Modifier 25 Policy

April 24, 2023 – Cigna is re-releasing its policy to require the submission of medical records with all Evaluation and Management (E/M) claims with CPT 99212-99215 and modifier 25 when a minor procedure is billed. Last week, OSMA joined the AMA and almost 100 other state and national medical/specialty societies in a collective letter urging Cigna to reconsider this policy.

04/20/2023

OSMA Reaffirms Support for Individuals Impacted by the East Palestine Train Derailment

Continued health, financial and educational support for East Palestine, plus continued testing, discussed by OSMA physician leaders at organization’s Annual Meeting held April 15-16.

04/19/2023

Medical Student Abstract Poster Competition

New this year as part of the OSMA annual meeting, medical students were invited to submit an abstract for poster presentation. This was an excellent opportunity for students to become involved in the OSMA Annual Meeting and to enhance their reputation both within and outside their institution – and to network with physicians about policy, research, career interests and more.

04/19/2023

Training Opportunities for New DEA License Requirements

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released materials in March 2023 related to the new Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act. The Act requires new or renewing DEA licensees, as of June 27, 2023, to have completed a total of at least eight hours of training on opioid or other substance use disorders and the appropriate treatment of pain.

03/26/2023

Member Q&A with Jay Williamson, MD

March 26, 2023 – OSMA member leaders work tirelessly on behalf of our members to ensure OSMA is meeting the needs of physicians and responding to the ever-changing healthcare landscape. We’d like to spotlight Dr. Jay Williamson.

02/21/2023

Student Member Q&A with David Warner

February 21, 2023 – OSMA member leaders work tirelessly on behalf of our members to ensure OSMA is meeting the needs of physicians and responding to the ever-changing healthcare landscape. We’d like to spotlight a student member, David Warner.

08/01/2022

Your Well-being Checkup And Referral Engagement Service

August 1, 2022 – The need for well-being support has never been higher, and the OSMA Foundation is supporting Ohio's healthcare workforce with a way to measure factors like personal anxiety, depression and burnout and connect with credible resources who can help.

05/10/2022

OSMA Foundation Awards 6 Summer Scholars Stipends

May 10, 2022 - The Foundation's April reception was an opportunity to meet and celebrate our first cohort of Summer Scholars. Read on for more information about these bright medical students and how the OSMA Foundation Summer Scholars program is helping them pursue summer research and clinical opportunities to advance public health.

04/26/2022

Introducing OSMA’s New President: A Q&A with Brian Santin, MD

April 26, 2022 – We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Santin as our new President, and we thank Dr. Lisa B. Egbert who tactfully completed her term. Read on to learn more about Dr. Santin, his medical career, and his vision for leading OSMA.

02/16/2022

Member Q&A with John A. Bastulli, MD

February 16, 2022

01/24/2022

Council Q&A with Shannon C. Trotter, DO

January 24, 2022

12/20/2021

Member Q&A with Jeffrey R. Leipzig, MD

December 20, 2021

11/22/2021

Council Q&A with John R. Corker, MD, FACEP

November 22, 2021

10/14/2021

Council Q&A with Gregory Surfield, MD, FACS

October 13, 2021

09/07/2021

Council Q&A with Michelle Knopp, MD

September 7, 2021

08/24/2021

Council Q&A with Mary LaPlante, MD, FACOG

August 24, 2021

07/28/2021

Council Q&A with Mary LaPlante, MD, FACOG

July 28, 2021

04/23/2021

Introducing OSMA’s New President: A Q&A with Lisa Egbert, MD

April 23, 2021 – We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Egbert as our new President, and we thank Dr. Anthony Armstrong who skillfully completed his term. Read on to learn more about Dr. Egbert, her medical career, and her vision for leading OSMA.

02/11/2021

Health Equity Q&A with OSMA President Anthony Armstrong, MD

February 11, 2021 - The COVID-19 pandemic and elevated conversations about racial justice have brought the issue of healthcare equity to the forefront for healthcare professionals everywhere. As we support members in 2021, we’re pleased to share thoughts from OSMA President Anthony Armstrong, MD on health equity and what this means for Ohio physicians.

08/01/2019

Ohio Physicians Give Feedback on Medicaid Managed Care Program

Many of our members provide daily patient care to Ohio’s Medicaid population and thus are uniquely qualified to provide meaningful information to assist the Ohio Department of Medicaid in its upcoming competitive Medicaid managed care procurement process. The comments we received from our members generally centered on areas where improvement is most desired, including plan accountability, grievances and appeals, provider support, benefits and delivery, and care coordination and management.

07/23/2019

Wrap Up: Ohio Delegation to the American Medical Association

Your OSMA Delegation to the AMA worked diligently on behalf of Ohio physicians during the recent 2019 Annual Meeting in Chicago. Ohio resolutions were carried forward and either adopted as new policy or committed the AMA to continue existing policy for another ten years.

07/18/2019

Ohio Budget Process Complete

The OSMA Government Relations team has been engaging with legislators on health care-related budget items since the governor’s initial proposal was released, and has been following and participating in the ongoing debates about a number of health policy decisions.

07/18/2019

Terminating Patient Relationships

Just as it is an acceptable and reasonable practice to screen incoming patients, it is acceptable and reasonable to know when to end patient relationships that are no longer therapeutic. It is critical, however, to end the patient relationship in a manner that will not lead to claims of discrimination or abandonment.

07/18/2019

Ohio Physician Wellness Coalition Offers Online CME Courses

The Ohio Physician Wellness Coalition (OPWC), which represents Ohio physicians and hospitals and focuses on addressing physician burnout, launched six videos in its continuing medical education (CME) wellness video series.

07/18/2019

Training Managers Who Walk the Walk

Identifying and training role models in your business or practice is key to creating a positive, productive work environment. Which managers should you cultivate as role models to lead your organization?

06/06/2019

New Pain Management Toolkit Available

A new state toolkit designed to assist primary care doctors who prescribe opioids will be released this month by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH).

06/06/2019

The $4.6 Billion Price Tag of Physician Burnout

To put a price on burnout, the study authors culled data from recent research findings and reports — including direct or inferred findings on doctors cutting back on hours or quitting as a result of burnout.

05/16/2019

Ohio’s Health Value Needs to be Better Now

Ohio is ranked 46 out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia according to the 2019 Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO) Health Value Dashboard—landing the Buckeye state in the bottom quartile.

04/25/2019

Concerns about U.S. Measles Outbreak

A recent poll by The Doctors Company received 9,459 responses to the question: How concerned are you as a healthcare provider about the recent U.S. measles outbreak?

04/25/2019

Hiring Friends and Family at the Office Is a Bad Idea

If your sister is pressuring you to hire your nephew for that much-coveted summer internship position so he can get his “foot in the door,” don’t give in to temptation.

03/28/2019

The 3-Minute Guide to Creating a Modern Website

How to Go Beyond an Online Business Card and Build an Effective Online Presence...

03/28/2019

Dollars & Sense: The State Budget

Earlier this week, the state budget became a bill on Capitol Hill—or at least on Capitol Square in Columbus, Ohio. The OSMA has completed an initial review of the bill language...

03/28/2019

On-Demand Care for YOU

As part of its commitment to the well-being of all physicians in the state of Ohio, the OSMA Physician Well-Being Committee recently launched an online hub...

03/14/2019

Oxycon"tained" Again in 2018

Pharmacy Board Releases Compelling OARRS Data... This week, the State of Ohio Pharmacy Board reported that the number of opioids dispensed to Ohioans dropped by 325 million from 2012 or 2018.

02/28/2019

OSMA Goes to Washington

Earlier this month, several OSMA members along with the OSMA Government Relations staff traveled to Washington DC to meet with members of Congress to discuss how existing laws are affecting patients and practices.

02/28/2019

Lions, and Tigers and Boards, Oh My!

Vision for the Future Commission released its final report to the American Board of Medical Specialties Board of Directors early this month.

02/28/2019

This Bud’s for You (or Your Patients)

Within the first month that the medical marijuana program was running in the state of Ohio, nearly $1M in sales were recorded, but questions remain.

02/27/2019

Take Control of Rising Healthcare Costs

The OSMA understands the struggles to maintain an independent practice. This is one reason why the OSMA decided to offer an OSMA managed, self-funded health care plan.

02/15/2019

2019 OSMA Annual Meeting—Resolutions Posted

All resolutions received by the Wednesday, February 6th deadline have been posted to the website so you can start to review them. We will post background information as we receive it.

02/14/2019

Despite 21% Decrease in Overdose Deaths, Ohio Still Has Work to Do

According to a recent CDC report, Ohio saw a significant decrease – 21.4% - in overdose fatalities in July 2017 through June 2018; second in the nation only to Washington DC, which saw a 24.2% decrease.

02/14/2019

What is the OSMA Doing for You?

With a new governor in office and Ohio legislators back at the Statehouse, the OSMA is putting our advocacy agenda—based on the priorities of our members—in motion.

01/10/2019

Make Sure to Do your Annual HR Check Up

Now that 2019 is underway, it is essential that you make sure your company is in compliance with state and federal regulatory updates.

01/03/2019

Physician Well-Being: The Real 5th Vital Sign

"The reason we should care about burnout is because it has the potential for serious consequences on the quality of patient care and safety, patient satisfaction, professionalism, physicians’ own care and safety, and the viability of the health care system..."

12/06/2018

Ohio Medical Marijuana Patient Registry Opens: What it Means for Doctors

The amount of product will be extremely limited, as growers and dispensaries come online throughout 2019.

04/18/2024

OSMA’s Advocacy Results in Directive from the Department of Insurance on Change Healthcare

April 18, 2024 – Last month, OSMA and OHA sent a joint letter to the Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI), requesting a directive be sent to all licensed health insurers in Ohio to create flexibility for physicians' and hospitals' interactions with payers due to the major disruption caused by the Change Healthcare cyberattack. Last week, ODI followed through on this request and sent a notice to all payers outlining the specific requests that we made.

04/17/2024

BWC Virtual Provider Forum on Physician’s Report of Work Ability is April 24—Have Your Voice Heard

April 17, 2024 – If your practice sees patients covered by worker’s compensation, you now have a chance to interact with the Bureau’s leadership and medical directors regarding the Physician’s Report of Work Ability. BWC sent out the following notice—don’t miss your chance to connect with key leaders and physicians.

04/11/2024

2024 OSMA Annual Meeting Recap

April 11, 2024 – This past weekend, OSMA members from across the state gathered together in Columbus for the OSMA Annual Meeting—an opportunity to network, share ideas, and conduct important policy work on behalf of their profession and their patients. Read on for a full summary of the event's happenings.

04/11/2024

Why It's Vital to Choose a Doctor-Owned Medical Malpractice Insurer

April 11, 2024 – Choosing a medical malpractice insurer involves more than just reviewing the cost of premiums—physicians must consider which insurer has their best interests at heart.

03/14/2024

CMS Announces MIPS Deadline Changes and Advanced Payments for Change Healthcare Issues

March 14, 2024 – Earlier this week, CMS made two announcements regarding proactive activities to address the challenges physicians and other healthcare providers are experiencing as a result of the Change Healthcare cyberattack. One addresses opportunities for practices to receive advanced payment, and the other extends the deadline for MIPS 2023 data submission to April 15.

03/10/2024

Remember to Verify/Update Your Provider Information

March 10, 2024 – Last week, the Ohio Department of Medicaid sent out an important reminder to all physicians regarding verifying your information in the Provider Network Management Provider Directory.

03/05/2024

COMPLIANCE: Preventative Medicine for Your Practice

March 5, 2024 – Every healthcare organization since 2010 has been required to have, not only a compliance program, but an effective one. Unfortunately, compliance sometimes is referred to in a negative way. It really shouldn’t be. It needs to be the culture of your practice. That is, if you want to be sustainable and successful.

03/05/2024

CMS Education Session: Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule

March 5, 2024 – Last week, CMS announced it will provide a virtual education session March 26, 2024, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM regarding its recently finalized rule on interoperability and prior authorization.

02/15/2024

Medical Board Update

February 15, 2024 – On February 14, the State Medical Board of Ohio accepted review of two potential additional qualifying conditions for a medical marijuana recommendation. Those conditions are (1) Female Orgasmic Difficulty Disorder and (2) Autism Spectrum Disorder.

02/12/2024

HHS Updates Opioid Treatment Program Regulations for First Time in 20 Years

February 12, 2024 – Last week the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published new rules related to opioid treatment and issued the following statement.

02/06/2024

Managed Care Entity Claim Denial Resources Available

February 6, 2024 – Last week, the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) sent out a notice on its new Reimbursement Information Page. See the full notice here, and be sure to provide the page and resources to your claims processing staff.

02/06/2024

CMS Releases New 2024 Resources on Quality Payment Programs

February 5, 2024 – Last week, CMS notified all providers to review updated resources and information related to many of its Qualify Payment Programs. Be sure to review this information and share the resources with your staff.

01/03/2024

New Year Brings Medicaid Rate Increase for Ohio Physicians

January 3, 2024 – On January 1, the majority of the codes in the Ohio Medicaid fee schedule for non-institutional providers (this includes physicians) increased by 5% or more—thus resulting in $415 million in additional funding this year. Additionally, fee schedules for ambulatory surgery centers, vision services, and others have also increased. Securing the Medicaid rate increase was OSMA’s top legislative priority in 2023!

12/19/2023

Thank You for Your Support in 2023!

December 19, 2023 – We're looking forward to 2024... I want to thank every OSMA member for their support and for being a passionate advocate for our profession. During the past year, OSMA staff and leadership were involved in a wide variety of activities that I hope have benefitted every physician in Ohio—and will continue to do so. 2023 highlights include... 

11/26/2023

Improving Women’s Health in Primary Care

November 26, 2023 – The Weitzman ECHO interactive learning series for Ohio primary care medical providers, behavioral health providers, and other care team members will explore the complexity of common women’s health needs.

11/26/2023

Lead-Free Ohio Initiative

November 26, 2023 – Childhood lead poisoning continues to be a significant public health issue in Ohio. The Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics is offering new programming to assist practices and participate in the Lead-Free Ohio initiative.

10/04/2023

Medicaid Claim Submission Reminders

October 4, 2023 – The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) recently provided an update on claims submissions for all Ohio physician practices. ODM is giving providers some important reminders and clarification on common questions.

10/03/2023

Important MIPS Dates & Upcoming Deadlines

October 3, 2023 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sent out the following communication to remind physicians and practices about important dates related to the MIPS program. Be sure to update your calendars with these key dates and activities.

09/26/2023

Important Reminders on Ohio Medicaid Claim Submissions

September 26, 2023 – The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) recently provided the following update on claims submissions for all Ohio physician practices.

09/26/2023

Physician Well-Being Reflection from Our OSMA President

September 26, 2023 – Earlier this month I had the privilege of participating in an extremely important event and campaign focused on improving physician well-being and normalizing the discussion on mental health.

09/19/2023

Regulatory & State Medical Board of Ohio Update

September 19, 2023 – The State Medical Board of Ohio (SMBO) has been working extensively to revise the regulatory structure for physicians in need of help with substance abuse, a mental health condition, or a physical impairment. Additionally, get an update on the Federal "No Surprises Act."

09/14/2023

National Physician Suicide Awareness Information

September 14, 2023 – OSMA is partnering with Disappearing Doctors to cohost an event The Disposables—an original collection of portraits honoring the 400+ physicians who die by suicide each year. The Disposables—created by artist Jeremy Rosario—depicts handcrafted portraits made from donated disposable medical supplies from doctors’ workplaces. The portraits will be on display for public viewing at the COhatch The Gateway starting on Monday Sept. 18 through Oct. 20.

08/24/2023

2024 OSMA Annual Meeting – Key Dates & Deadlines

August 24, 2023 – OSMA's Annual Meeting will take place April 5-7, 2024 at the Renaissance Polaris Hotel in Columbus. We look forward to seeing everyone—and in the meantime, here is what to plan for...

08/23/2023

CMS Seeking Comments on Quality Payment Program in 2024 Physician Fee Schedule Changes

August 23, 2023 – Provide your feedback on the proposed changes to the Quality Payment Program by September 11. CMS recently sent out the following request to all physicians...

08/04/2023

CMS Announces New Dementia Model

August 4, 2023 – On July 31, CMS made the following announcement regarding a new dementia model.

08/04/2023

OSMA Advocacy Priorities for Physician & Patient Mental Health Passed in Ohio Budget

August 4, 2023 – During the spring state budget process, OSMA advocated for funding to secure the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in Ohio, and changes to how to better protect physicians' personal data on the medical board's website.

08/02/2023

Young Physician Section: Your Input Needed!

August 2, 2023 – The Young Physician Section (YPS) of OSMA would like YPS member thoughts on starting a series of informal virtual gatherings to address a variety of issues of importance to you in support of your professional and personal life. These will be private virtual meetings open only to OSMA YPS members.

07/25/2023

Regulatory/Medical Board Update

July 25, 2023 – The State Medical Board of Ohio met on Wednesday, July 12—updating the list of conditions treatable with medical marijuana to 26, and amending license application questions to align with nationally recognized mental health practices for physicians.

07/25/2023

2024 Proposed Medicare Physician Payment Schedule

July 25, 2023 – Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the proposed rule for the calendar year (CY) 2024 Medicare Physician Payment Schedule. Our advocacy partners at the national level, the American Medical Association (AMA), provided the following overview of key provisions.

07/24/2023

National Study to Document Changes in Physician Practice Expense—Your Input is Needed

July 24, 2023 – The American Medical Association (AMA) is undertaking a new national study, supported by 173 healthcare organizations, (including the OSMA) to collect representative data on physician practice expenses. The aim of the Physician Practice Information (PPI) Survey is to better understand the costs faced by today’s physician practices to support physician payment advocacy.

07/13/2023

Are Insurance Companies Paying You Correctly?—OSMA Can Help

July 13, 2023 – You have analyzed your contracts, negotiated with the payers, and set new rates. Your job may look finished, but the fun is just starting! Short of reviewing every EOB and ERA, how can you ensure that the new rates are loaded correctly and that procedures are paid appropriately? What are medical practices nationwide doing to confirm that claims are being paid according to contract? What about multiple procedure discounts, modifiers, different rates for different specialties, and other contracting nuances? Should you take a different approach to underpayments vs. denials?

07/12/2023

Provider Funding Available for Patient Nicotine Cessation Efforts

July 12, 2023 – New funding is available for health, medical, behavioral health, and dental providers to help them develop or improve their patient nicotine cessation policies, procedures, and practices through the Ohio Department of Health Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Program (TUPCP). Up to $5,100 is available based on the completion of several deliverables.

06/06/2023

Medicare & Medicaid Updates—Registration is Open!

June 6, 2023 – Join us for OSMA's annual Medicare & Medicaid Updates with tips, policies and resources—keeping you in compliance, and helping to get your claims paid in a timely, appropriate way. Payer rules and policies are constantly changing!

06/06/2023

New MATE Act's 8-Hour Training Requirements

June 6, 2023 – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released materials in March 2023 related to the new Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act. The Act requires new or renewing DEA licensees, as of June 27, 2023, to have completed a total of at least eight hours of training on opioid or other substance use disorders and the appropriate treatment of pain.

05/31/2023

Post Public Health Emergency FAQ

May 31, 2022 – The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) ended on May 11, 2023, which changes many federal policies established during the pandemic. OSMA is working to keep members updated as guidance is available.

05/25/2023

Introducing OSMA’s New President: A Q&A with Eric Drobny, MD

May 23, 2023 – We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Drobny as our new President, and we thank Dr. Brian Santin who tactfully completed his term. Read on to learn more about Dr. Drobny, his medical career, and his vision for leading OSMA.

05/24/2023

Medical Liability Claim Frequency Study

May 24, 2023 – A new analysis from the American Medical Association (AMA) finds the possibility of being sued during a career in medicine is very real for most doctors, which is notable given that most claims end with no finding of negligence or error.

05/08/2023

COVID-19 Vaccine Expiration Reminder

May 8, 2023 - This week, the Ohio Department of Health sent out a reminder to providers of COVID-19 vaccines about recent expiration awareness. NOTE: All remaining doses of Johnson & Johnson (J&J)/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine expired on Saturday, May 6, 2023. 

05/08/2023

Curbside Consultations: Patient Safety and Legal Risks

May 8, 2023 – Informal, or “curbside,” consultations among healthcare practitioners represent an important part of clinical practice and help to promote a collegial relationship in both the clinic and hospital settings.

05/04/2023

Medicare Annual Visits: How to make them work in your office

May 4, 2023 - Medicare annual wellness visits provide an important opportunity to promote health and to provide disease screening and advance care planning with patients who have Medicare. However, billing for the wrong visit or at the wrong time can result in denied claims.

05/03/2023

United Healthcare to Reduce Prior Authorizations

May 3, 2023 - OSMA's continued focus at the state and federal level is starting to result in individual plans announcing revisions to prior authorization practices. We’re also supporting HB 130 in Ohio that creates a prior authorization gold card and we anticipate additional legislation in Ohio related to prior authorization and billing later this year.

05/03/2023

Updates to Coverage for COVID-19 Tests

May 3, 2023 - The ending of the Public Health Emergency may impact an individual’s coverage of COVID-19 tests. CMS is encouraging that you know these changes and share the New Consumer Fact Sheet on COVID-19 tests.

04/24/2023

Webinars to Help Prepare for the End of the Public Health Emergency

April 24, 2023 - On May 11, 2023, the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) is set to expire. Healthcare providers continue to implement COVID protocols and navigate the ever-changing healthcare regulations at both the federal and state levels, therefore it is important to take time to prepare for the ending of the Public Health Emergency (PHE). Here are some webinars to help you plan...

04/19/2023

Training Opportunities for New DEA License Requirements

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released materials in March 2023 related to the new Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act. The Act requires new or renewing DEA licensees, as of June 27, 2023, to have completed a total of at least eight hours of training on opioid or other substance use disorders and the appropriate treatment of pain.

04/26/2022

Introducing OSMA’s New President: A Q&A with Brian Santin, MD

April 26, 2022 – We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Santin as our new President, and we thank Dr. Lisa B. Egbert who tactfully completed her term. Read on to learn more about Dr. Santin, his medical career, and his vision for leading OSMA.

04/23/2021

Introducing OSMA’s New President: A Q&A with Lisa Egbert, MD

April 23, 2021 – We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Egbert as our new President, and we thank Dr. Anthony Armstrong who skillfully completed his term. Read on to learn more about Dr. Egbert, her medical career, and her vision for leading OSMA.

07/18/2019

Ohio Physician Wellness Coalition Offers Online CME Courses

The Ohio Physician Wellness Coalition (OPWC), which represents Ohio physicians and hospitals and focuses on addressing physician burnout, launched six videos in its continuing medical education (CME) wellness video series.

06/06/2019

New Pain Management Toolkit Available

A new state toolkit designed to assist primary care doctors who prescribe opioids will be released this month by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH).

03/28/2019

The 3-Minute Guide to Creating a Modern Website

How to Go Beyond an Online Business Card and Build an Effective Online Presence...

03/28/2019

On-Demand Care for YOU

As part of its commitment to the well-being of all physicians in the state of Ohio, the OSMA Physician Well-Being Committee recently launched an online hub...

03/14/2019

Oxycon"tained" Again in 2018

Pharmacy Board Releases Compelling OARRS Data... This week, the State of Ohio Pharmacy Board reported that the number of opioids dispensed to Ohioans dropped by 325 million from 2012 or 2018.

02/28/2019

Lions, and Tigers and Boards, Oh My!

Vision for the Future Commission released its final report to the American Board of Medical Specialties Board of Directors early this month.

02/28/2019

This Bud’s for You (or Your Patients)

Within the first month that the medical marijuana program was running in the state of Ohio, nearly $1M in sales were recorded, but questions remain.

04/18/2024

Legislative Update: Gender Affirming Care Legislation for Ohio Youth Temporarily Blocked by Judge

April 18, 2024 – This week, a Franklin County judge issued a temporary injunction for the enforcement of House Bill 68, legislation which would prevent transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming care.

04/18/2024

OSMA’s Advocacy Results in Directive from the Department of Insurance on Change Healthcare

April 18, 2024 – Last month, OSMA and OHA sent a joint letter to the Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI), requesting a directive be sent to all licensed health insurers in Ohio to create flexibility for physicians' and hospitals' interactions with payers due to the major disruption caused by the Change Healthcare cyberattack. Last week, ODI followed through on this request and sent a notice to all payers outlining the specific requests that we made.

04/17/2024

BWC Virtual Provider Forum on Physician’s Report of Work Ability is April 24—Have Your Voice Heard

April 17, 2024 – If your practice sees patients covered by worker’s compensation, you now have a chance to interact with the Bureau’s leadership and medical directors regarding the Physician’s Report of Work Ability. BWC sent out the following notice—don’t miss your chance to connect with key leaders and physicians.

04/11/2024

2024 OSMA Annual Meeting Recap

April 11, 2024 – This past weekend, OSMA members from across the state gathered together in Columbus for the OSMA Annual Meeting—an opportunity to network, share ideas, and conduct important policy work on behalf of their profession and their patients. Read on for a full summary of the event's happenings.

03/28/2024

Spring Legislative Preview

March 28, 2024 – Now that the March 19 primary elections have passed, the Ohio Legislature is expected to return to the Statehouse for a flurry of activity shortly after the upcoming holiday. The Ohio House and Senate will conduct a series of hearings and sessions from mid-April up until the legislators depart back to their districts for the summer recess and to campaign for the general election this fall.

03/26/2024

Are You Being Paid 2024 Rates? Check Your Medicaid Claims

March 26, 2024 – As a result of OSMA advocacy efforts last year, on Jan. 1 Ohio increased the Medicaid fee schedule resulting in the majority of codes increasing by 5% with a cumulative impact of about $400 million in new funding. The implementation of the increase has been challenging and it's essential that practices review their claims payment history since Jan. 1 to ensure you are receiving the appropriate increase.

03/21/2024

OSMA Seeks Ohio Department of Insurance Action on Change Healthcare Cyberattack

March 21, 2024 – OSMA and the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) sent a joint letter to the Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI) to direct commercial health insurance plans in Ohio to provide administrative and financial relief for physician practices and hospitals impacted by the cyberattack on Change Healthcare.

03/20/2024

Partial Medicare Fee Schedule Fix Passed and Implemented

March 20, 2024 – While not erasing the entire 3.37 percent cut that went into effect on January 1, recent passage of the Consolidated Appropriation Act created a 1.68 percent update to the Medicare Physician Payment Schedule conversion factor.

02/21/2024

February Legislative Update

January 21, 2024 – This month, your OSMA Advocacy team has been working extensively behind the scenes with legislators and other interested parties on several key issues, preparing for upcoming legislative sessions next week and later this spring after the primary election.

02/15/2024

Medical Board Update

February 15, 2024 – On February 14, the State Medical Board of Ohio accepted review of two potential additional qualifying conditions for a medical marijuana recommendation. Those conditions are (1) Female Orgasmic Difficulty Disorder and (2) Autism Spectrum Disorder.

02/12/2024

HHS Updates Opioid Treatment Program Regulations for First Time in 20 Years

February 12, 2024 – Last week the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published new rules related to opioid treatment and issued the following statement.

01/25/2024

Recent Override of Two Gubernatorial Vetoes

January 25, 2024 – An update on: Governor DeWine’s veto of House Bill 68, the gender-affirming care legislation, being overridden by a vote in the Ohio House, as well as information about the regulatory process surrounding the development of new administrative rules regarding gender transition care for Ohioans under the age of 21.

01/18/2024

Ohio Legislative Update!

January 18, 2024 – Last week, despite strong and consistent advocacy efforts by OSMA and a large coalition of medical organizations, members of the Ohio House of Representatives returned to Columbus in order to vote to overturn Governor DeWine’s veto of House Bill 68. As a reminder, HB 68 would ban gender-affirming care – including use of hormones, puberty blockers, and surgeries – for patients in Ohio under the age of 18. Also, members of the Ohio House have unanimously voted to pass House Bill 179—on vicarious liability in tort actions, and provides that the tolling of the limitations period during the defendant's absence or concealment does not apply to statutes of repose.

01/18/2024

Legal Update: Physician Wrongful Death Liability Claim Protections Upheld

January 18, 2024 – The Ohio Supreme Court confirmed limits on physician liability in wrongful death cases late in 2023.

01/17/2024

CMS Announces Final Rules Regulation Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization

January 17, 2024 – We are pleased to report that earlier this week, CMS announced its final rule package that will address some of the challenges physicians face with the prior authorization system.

01/03/2024

New Year Brings Medicaid Rate Increase for Ohio Physicians

January 3, 2024 – On January 1, the majority of the codes in the Ohio Medicaid fee schedule for non-institutional providers (this includes physicians) increased by 5% or more—thus resulting in $415 million in additional funding this year. Additionally, fee schedules for ambulatory surgery centers, vision services, and others have also increased. Securing the Medicaid rate increase was OSMA’s top legislative priority in 2023!

12/19/2023

Thank You for Your Support in 2023!

December 19, 2023 – We're looking forward to 2024... I want to thank every OSMA member for their support and for being a passionate advocate for our profession. During the past year, OSMA staff and leadership were involved in a wide variety of activities that I hope have benefitted every physician in Ohio—and will continue to do so. 2023 highlights include... 

12/15/2023

OSMA December Legislative Update

December 15, 2023 – The Ohio Legislature has completed its activities and recessed until the New Year, and the past several weeks at the Statehouse have been a whirlwind of hearings, meetings, and legislative sessions as legislators prepared to wind down for the holidays. Here’s a review of important and recent updates on issues your OSMA advocacy team has been involved in this year, and a brief peek at what these developments mean for our advocacy agenda in 2024.

12/14/2023

Take Action Now: New Medicare Payment Fix Bill Introduced

December 14, 2023 – As we have informed OSMA members over the last two months, unless Congress takes action, the 2024 Medicare physician fee schedule includes a 3.37% payment cut for physicians.

12/14/2023

State Medical Board and Ohio Legal Update

December 14, 2023 – The State Medical Board of Ohio (SMBO) met on December 13 to finalize the election of Board members, while the Supreme Court of Ohio has ordered the parties in Preterm Cleveland v Yost to submit briefs in the wake of the passage of Issue 2.

12/13/2023

Attention Medical Students: 2024 Fellowship Opportunity

December 13, 2023 – Have free time this upcoming summer?  Want to get a hands-on advocacy experience? The Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA) is looking for a driven and personable medical student for a 6-8 week internship in summer 2024!

12/06/2023

Advocacy Update: Help Avert the Medicare Payment Cut!

November 28, 2023 – In addition to our direct advocacy efforts, we’re asking members to contact Congress to help fix Medicare now. We need everyone’s help to avert the cut.

12/06/2023

OSMA Advocacy Leads to More Than $400 Million in Increased Medicaid Reimbursement

November 28, 2023 – OSMA’s top legislative priority for 2023 was to increase Medicaid reimbursement for physicians. Working with the administration, a provision to increase the Medicaid fee schedule was included in the initial budget proposal and remained in the version passed by both the House and Senate—and ultimately signed by the governor at the end of June.

11/27/2023

Medicaid Fee-for-Service Claim Denials & Reprocessing

November 27, 2023 – Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) and its Ohio Medicaid Enterprise System vendors are diligently focused on providing transparency and visibility regarding care and services.

11/09/2023

No Surprises Act Update & Medical Board Meeting Summary

November 9, 2023 – As Congress enacted the No Surprises Act in 2020 to address the issue of “surprise medical bills” for patients and provider payment issues, the Biden administration has proposed a recent rule specifically addressing the Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process. And as a reminder, this summer the Board eliminated the previous One Bite Program addressing physician substance use impairment in favor of a vastly more appropriate program structure.

11/09/2023

Election Recap: Ohio Voters Pass Issues 1 & 2

November 9, 2023 – After weeks of early in-person and absentee mail-in voting, the 2023 general election culminated in this week’s Election Day, with many Ohioans heading out to the polls to cast their votes on Tuesday. Numerous local races all over the state were decided by Ohio voters, and in the evening after the polls closed, all eyes were on the incoming results, particularly concerning statewide ballot issues 1 and 2.

11/08/2023

Upcoming Trainings: Ohio Medical Board’s New Confidential Monitoring Program

November 8, 2023 – The State Medical Board of Ohio (SMBO) developed a Confidential Monitoring Program in partnership with the Ohio Professionals Health Program (OhioPHP) for all licensees and applicants. This program is a confidential path for individuals to seek help for burnout, mental health, substance use disorders, and a therapeutic alternative to regulatory awareness.

10/26/2023

Report from OSMA Delegation to the AMA

October 26, 2023 – The OSMA Delegation to the American Medical Association (AMA) had the privilege of representing our association at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates (HOD), from June 9 to 14 in Chicago, Illinois. The business of this Annual Meeting is robust and diverse in both range and topic. There were several hundred items of business (reports and resolutions) considered at the meeting. The Delegation worked throughout the summer to summarize our activities at the meeting for review by the OSMA Council and membership.

10/19/2023

Advocacy Update: OSMA Advocates for Physicians on Numerous Major Issues

October 19, 2023 –Over the past few weeks, the Ohio Statehouse has been bustling with hearings, interested party meetings, and other activity, and your OSMA advocacy team, along with several OSMA physician members, have been busy in downtown Columbus to make physician voices heard.

10/19/2023

State Medical Board Confidential Monitoring Program Replaces One-Bite Program – What to Know

October 19, 2023 –The new program provides individual treatment plans and confidential (non-disciplinary) programming, along with the inclusion of physical and mental health related impairment in addition to substance abuse.

10/18/2023

GOP Doctors Caucus Releases Draft Reforms to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

October 18, 2023 – Earlier this month the GOP Doctors Caucus released a discussion draft of legislation seeking to reform the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS).  In the press release, the Caucus outlined three main areas it hoped to address.

10/04/2023

Ohio Medicaid Releases 2024 Fee Schedule Draft

October 4, 2023 – Earlier this year, OSMA was successful in advocating for a Medicaid rate increase in the state budget. A top priority for OSMA, in its entirety, for the 18-month period starting in January, estimates are that the increase should result in more than $200 million in new funding for physician professional services.

09/29/2023

OSMA Statement on Ohio Issues 1 and 2

September 29, 2023 – Press release: Columbus, Ohio – Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA), the state’s largest and oldest physician-led organization, issues the following statement on Ohio’s November ballot initiatives.

09/26/2023

Important Reminders on Ohio Medicaid Claim Submissions

September 26, 2023 – The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) recently provided the following update on claims submissions for all Ohio physician practices.

09/20/2023

Ohio Legislature Returns for the Fall: What’s on OSMA’s Agenda?

September 20, 2023 – Along with monitoring dozens of pieces of legislation so far this year, there are several items we will be focusing our advocacy efforts on heading into late September, October, and beyond.

08/24/2023

2024 OSMA Annual Meeting – Key Dates & Deadlines

August 24, 2023 – OSMA's Annual Meeting will take place April 5-7, 2024 at the Renaissance Polaris Hotel in Columbus. We look forward to seeing everyone—and in the meantime, here is what to plan for...

08/23/2023

CMS Seeking Comments on Quality Payment Program in 2024 Physician Fee Schedule Changes

August 23, 2023 – Provide your feedback on the proposed changes to the Quality Payment Program by September 11. CMS recently sent out the following request to all physicians...

08/17/2023

Save these Dates to Connect with OSMA's Leadership Team

August 17, 2023 – Join our live updates on the following dates for a brief audio interaction on how your OSMA team is working to advance important state legislative and regulatory issues that protect you and your patients.

08/17/2023

OSMA Collaborates to Reform Medicare’s Payment System

August 17, 2023 – OSMA has joined with the AMA and other state and national medical association to reform Medicare’s broken physician payment system. The AMA sent the below alert to physicians across the country to contact members of congress when their home for the August recess. We encourage all OSMA members to contact congress and stress the importance of fixing Medicare now.

08/04/2023

OSMA Advocacy Priorities for Physician & Patient Mental Health Passed in Ohio Budget

August 4, 2023 – During the spring state budget process, OSMA advocated for funding to secure the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in Ohio, and changes to how to better protect physicians' personal data on the medical board's website.

08/02/2023

OSMA Advocacy Delivers: Medicaid Physician Fee Schedule Increase Coming in 2024

August 2, 2023 – During the spring state budget process, OSMA advocated for an increase in the Medicaid physician fee schedule. The final passed and signed version included language for a 5% increase.

07/20/2023

Monthly Advocacy Update from Monica Hueckel

July 20, 2023 – Hear firsthand from OSMA's advocacy leadership on current issues we're working on in the legislative space, including state budget wins for physicians and the practice of medicine, insurance and prior auth issues, public health topics, and some recent scope of practice activity.

07/05/2023

State Budget Bill Passed, Signed by Governor

OSMA Champions New Medicaid Physician Payment Increase Included in Budget Legislation

July 5, 2023 – This spring, the Ohio Legislature embarked on the biennial state budget process, tasked with passing legislation creating the budget for fiscal years 2024-2025. The Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA)’s Government Relations team engaged with legislators on many health care budget items from the start, when the governor’s initial proposal for the budget was released.

06/15/2023

OSMA Provides Key Supportive Testimony for Ohio Prior Authorization “Gold Card” Bill

June 15, 2023 – HB 130 was introduced in the Ohio House in March by Rep. Kevin Miller (R-Newark), and is one of OSMA’s major legislative advocacy priorities this year. The bill, if enacted, would create an exemption system that rewards Ohio healthcare providers who consistently receive a prior authorization approval rate of 80% or more for a specific service, device, or drug in the prior 12-month period.

06/14/2023

OSMA Supports AMA “Fix Medicare Now” Initiative

June 14, 2023 – In addition to reforming prior authorization at the state and federal level, OSMA joins the AMA and organized medicine across the country to fix major flaws in the Medicare physician fee schedule.

05/31/2023

Cigna Update to Modifier 25 Policy

May 31, 2022 – Cigna has updated its modifier 25 policy to announce a delay in implementing the required submission of documentation to support the use of modifier 25 when billed with E/M CPT codes 99212 – 99215 and a minor procedure.

05/25/2023

Take Action: Contact Congress to Fix Prior Authorization

May 25, 2023 – In addition to our efforts at the state level with HB 130, OSMA is also involved with our national and state partners to reform prior authorization practices in Medicare Advantage plans.

05/25/2023

Introducing OSMA’s New President: A Q&A with Eric Drobny, MD

May 23, 2023 – We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Drobny as our new President, and we thank Dr. Brian Santin who tactfully completed his term. Read on to learn more about Dr. Drobny, his medical career, and his vision for leading OSMA.

05/17/2023

OSMA Spring Legislative Update

May 17, 2023 - The OSMA government relations team continues activity related to the state budget bill, which recently passed out of the Ohio House and is now in hearings in the Ohio Senate Finance Committee. As summer approaches, OSMA has been involved in advocacy efforts regarding several pieces of legislation in the last few weeks.

05/16/2023

Public Health Emergency Ends

May 16, 2023 - On Thursday, May 11, 2023, the federally declared Public Health Emergency (PHE) ended. As many flexibilities for physicians and practices were provided by federal regulatory agencies during the PHE, it is important to know which, if any, of those flexibilities will be going away.

05/04/2023

Medicare Annual Visits: How to make them work in your office

May 4, 2023 - Medicare annual wellness visits provide an important opportunity to promote health and to provide disease screening and advance care planning with patients who have Medicare. However, billing for the wrong visit or at the wrong time can result in denied claims.

05/04/2023

Tort Reform in Ohio: 20-Year Anniversary Reflections

May 4, 2023 – OSMA Exclusive Partner, The Doctors Company (TDC) CEO and Chairman, Dr. Richard Anderson reflects on the history of tort reform in Ohio.

05/03/2023

Are Employee Health Insurance Costs Giving You a Headache?

May 3, 2023 – OSMA can help. According to a recent survey of 1,000 employers by Forbes Advisor, employer-sponsored health coverage is the most important benefit to employees in 2023. Yet one of the biggest costs facing employers today continues to be health insurance coverage for employees.

05/03/2023

United Healthcare to Reduce Prior Authorizations

May 3, 2023 - OSMA's continued focus at the state and federal level is starting to result in individual plans announcing revisions to prior authorization practices. We’re also supporting HB 130 in Ohio that creates a prior authorization gold card and we anticipate additional legislation in Ohio related to prior authorization and billing later this year.

04/27/2023

OSMA Advocates for Medicare Physician Payment Changes

April 27, 2023 – OSMA has joined with more than 120 other state and national medical societies communicating our support to the sponsors of H.R. 2474—the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act.

04/25/2023

Advocacy Update on Non-Compete Proposed Rule 

April 25, 2023 – In January of this year, the Federal Trade Commission issued notice of a proposed rule which would prohibit non-compete agreements between nearly every employee/employer under the FTC’s jurisdiction, including physician employment agreements.

04/24/2023

OSMA/National Response to Cigna's Re-release of Modifier 25 Policy

April 24, 2023 – Cigna is re-releasing its policy to require the submission of medical records with all Evaluation and Management (E/M) claims with CPT 99212-99215 and modifier 25 when a minor procedure is billed. Last week, OSMA joined the AMA and almost 100 other state and national medical/specialty societies in a collective letter urging Cigna to reconsider this policy.

04/26/2022

Introducing OSMA’s New President: A Q&A with Brian Santin, MD

April 26, 2022 – We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Santin as our new President, and we thank Dr. Lisa B. Egbert who tactfully completed her term. Read on to learn more about Dr. Santin, his medical career, and his vision for leading OSMA.

04/23/2021

Introducing OSMA’s New President: A Q&A with Lisa Egbert, MD

April 23, 2021 – We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Egbert as our new President, and we thank Dr. Anthony Armstrong who skillfully completed his term. Read on to learn more about Dr. Egbert, her medical career, and her vision for leading OSMA.

02/11/2021

Health Equity Q&A with OSMA President Anthony Armstrong, MD

February 11, 2021 - The COVID-19 pandemic and elevated conversations about racial justice have brought the issue of healthcare equity to the forefront for healthcare professionals everywhere. As we support members in 2021, we’re pleased to share thoughts from OSMA President Anthony Armstrong, MD on health equity and what this means for Ohio physicians.

08/01/2019

Ohio Physicians Give Feedback on Medicaid Managed Care Program

Many of our members provide daily patient care to Ohio’s Medicaid population and thus are uniquely qualified to provide meaningful information to assist the Ohio Department of Medicaid in its upcoming competitive Medicaid managed care procurement process. The comments we received from our members generally centered on areas where improvement is most desired, including plan accountability, grievances and appeals, provider support, benefits and delivery, and care coordination and management.

07/23/2019

Wrap Up: Ohio Delegation to the American Medical Association

Your OSMA Delegation to the AMA worked diligently on behalf of Ohio physicians during the recent 2019 Annual Meeting in Chicago. Ohio resolutions were carried forward and either adopted as new policy or committed the AMA to continue existing policy for another ten years.

07/18/2019

Ohio Budget Process Complete

The OSMA Government Relations team has been engaging with legislators on health care-related budget items since the governor’s initial proposal was released, and has been following and participating in the ongoing debates about a number of health policy decisions.

03/28/2019

Dollars & Sense: The State Budget

Earlier this week, the state budget became a bill on Capitol Hill—or at least on Capitol Square in Columbus, Ohio. The OSMA has completed an initial review of the bill language...

02/28/2019

OSMA Goes to Washington

Earlier this month, several OSMA members along with the OSMA Government Relations staff traveled to Washington DC to meet with members of Congress to discuss how existing laws are affecting patients and practices.

02/14/2019

What is the OSMA Doing for You?

With a new governor in office and Ohio legislators back at the Statehouse, the OSMA is putting our advocacy agenda—based on the priorities of our members—in motion.

04/18/2024

Legislative Update: Gender Affirming Care Legislation for Ohio Youth Temporarily Blocked by Judge

April 18, 2024 – This week, a Franklin County judge issued a temporary injunction for the enforcement of House Bill 68, legislation which would prevent transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming care.

04/18/2024

OSMA’s Advocacy Results in Directive from the Department of Insurance on Change Healthcare

April 18, 2024 – Last month, OSMA and OHA sent a joint letter to the Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI), requesting a directive be sent to all licensed health insurers in Ohio to create flexibility for physicians' and hospitals' interactions with payers due to the major disruption caused by the Change Healthcare cyberattack. Last week, ODI followed through on this request and sent a notice to all payers outlining the specific requests that we made.

04/17/2024

BWC Virtual Provider Forum on Physician’s Report of Work Ability is April 24—Have Your Voice Heard

April 17, 2024 – If your practice sees patients covered by worker’s compensation, you now have a chance to interact with the Bureau’s leadership and medical directors regarding the Physician’s Report of Work Ability. BWC sent out the following notice—don’t miss your chance to connect with key leaders and physicians.

04/11/2024

2024 OSMA Annual Meeting Recap

April 11, 2024 – This past weekend, OSMA members from across the state gathered together in Columbus for the OSMA Annual Meeting—an opportunity to network, share ideas, and conduct important policy work on behalf of their profession and their patients. Read on for a full summary of the event's happenings.

04/11/2024

Why It's Vital to Choose a Doctor-Owned Medical Malpractice Insurer

April 11, 2024 – Choosing a medical malpractice insurer involves more than just reviewing the cost of premiums—physicians must consider which insurer has their best interests at heart.

03/28/2024

Spring Legislative Preview

March 28, 2024 – Now that the March 19 primary elections have passed, the Ohio Legislature is expected to return to the Statehouse for a flurry of activity shortly after the upcoming holiday. The Ohio House and Senate will conduct a series of hearings and sessions from mid-April up until the legislators depart back to their districts for the summer recess and to campaign for the general election this fall.

03/26/2024

Are You Being Paid 2024 Rates? Check Your Medicaid Claims

March 26, 2024 – As a result of OSMA advocacy efforts last year, on Jan. 1 Ohio increased the Medicaid fee schedule resulting in the majority of codes increasing by 5% with a cumulative impact of about $400 million in new funding. The implementation of the increase has been challenging and it's essential that practices review their claims payment history since Jan. 1 to ensure you are receiving the appropriate increase.

03/21/2024

OSMA Seeks Ohio Department of Insurance Action on Change Healthcare Cyberattack

March 21, 2024 – OSMA and the Ohio Hospital Association (OHA) sent a joint letter to the Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI) to direct commercial health insurance plans in Ohio to provide administrative and financial relief for physician practices and hospitals impacted by the cyberattack on Change Healthcare.

03/20/2024

Partial Medicare Fee Schedule Fix Passed and Implemented

March 20, 2024 – While not erasing the entire 3.37 percent cut that went into effect on January 1, recent passage of the Consolidated Appropriation Act created a 1.68 percent update to the Medicare Physician Payment Schedule conversion factor.

03/14/2024

CMS Announces MIPS Deadline Changes and Advanced Payments for Change Healthcare Issues

March 14, 2024 – Earlier this week, CMS made two announcements regarding proactive activities to address the challenges physicians and other healthcare providers are experiencing as a result of the Change Healthcare cyberattack. One addresses opportunities for practices to receive advanced payment, and the other extends the deadline for MIPS 2023 data submission to April 15.

03/10/2024

Remember to Verify/Update Your Provider Information

March 10, 2024 – Last week, the Ohio Department of Medicaid sent out an important reminder to all physicians regarding verifying your information in the Provider Network Management Provider Directory.

03/07/2024

How Cyberattacks are Crippling Ohio's Health Care Systems

March 7, 2024 – OSMA President, Dr. Eric Drobny, recently talked with the Columbus Dispatch about why the cyberattack on Change Healthcare is having such a ripple effect on the healthcare industry, how practices may continue to see impacts for weeks to come, and the OSMA’s role in supporting members.

03/07/2024

Cyberattack on Change Healthcare – Latest Information

March 7, 2024 – Over the last two weeks, since the Feb. 21 cyberattack on Change Healthcare, members have contacted OSMA about the major disruption the attack has caused to their practices. While the process of resolving the issue is ongoing, OSMA has been working with our state and national partners to ensure we’re providing the latest information to members. In the last few days, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) and the AMA have released updates and resources.

03/05/2024

COMPLIANCE: Preventative Medicine for Your Practice

March 5, 2024 – Every healthcare organization since 2010 has been required to have, not only a compliance program, but an effective one. Unfortunately, compliance sometimes is referred to in a negative way. It really shouldn’t be. It needs to be the culture of your practice. That is, if you want to be sustainable and successful.

03/05/2024

CMS Education Session: Interoperability and Prior Authorization Final Rule

March 5, 2024 – Last week, CMS announced it will provide a virtual education session March 26, 2024, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM regarding its recently finalized rule on interoperability and prior authorization.

02/23/2024

2023 Foundation Donor Recognition

Feb 23, 2024 – In recognition of contributions January 1, 2023 through February 7, 2024—as well as our Founders Society of donors who have given accumulatively, $1,846 or greater since April 2021.

02/23/2024

A Unified Call to Action

Feb 23, 2024 – As we continue to support and expand the Well-Being CARE service, we invite you to join us in this vital initiative.

02/21/2024

February Legislative Update

January 21, 2024 – This month, your OSMA Advocacy team has been working extensively behind the scenes with legislators and other interested parties on several key issues, preparing for upcoming legislative sessions next week and later this spring after the primary election.

02/20/2024

Celebrating Black History Month - Dr. Chatman feature

February 20, 2024 – In honor of Black History Month, we’re profiling some of the African American physician pioneers in Ohio, including past OSMA president Dr. Chatman.

02/20/2024

Celebrating Black History Month - Dr. Armstrong feature

February 20, 2024 – In honor of Black History Month, we’re profiling some of the African American physician pioneers in Ohio, including past OSMA president Dr. Armstrong.

02/15/2024

Medical Board Update

February 15, 2024 – On February 14, the State Medical Board of Ohio accepted review of two potential additional qualifying conditions for a medical marijuana recommendation. Those conditions are (1) Female Orgasmic Difficulty Disorder and (2) Autism Spectrum Disorder.

02/12/2024

HHS Updates Opioid Treatment Program Regulations for First Time in 20 Years

February 12, 2024 – Last week the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published new rules related to opioid treatment and issued the following statement.

02/06/2024

Managed Care Entity Claim Denial Resources Available

February 6, 2024 – Last week, the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) sent out a notice on its new Reimbursement Information Page. See the full notice here, and be sure to provide the page and resources to your claims processing staff.

02/06/2024

CMS Releases New 2024 Resources on Quality Payment Programs

February 5, 2024 – Last week, CMS notified all providers to review updated resources and information related to many of its Qualify Payment Programs. Be sure to review this information and share the resources with your staff.

01/25/2024

Recent Override of Two Gubernatorial Vetoes

January 25, 2024 – An update on: Governor DeWine’s veto of House Bill 68, the gender-affirming care legislation, being overridden by a vote in the Ohio House, as well as information about the regulatory process surrounding the development of new administrative rules regarding gender transition care for Ohioans under the age of 21.

01/24/2024

Free PPE Offered by Department of Health

January 24, 2024 – The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is offering non-sterile personal protective equipment (PPE) to you at no charge. The PPE (gloves, masks, gowns, hand sanitizer, etc.) was purchased as part of Ohio‘s public health response during the COVID-19 pandemic.

01/23/2024

Important Reminders From Ohio Medicaid

January 23, 2024 – The Ohio Department of Medicaid just sent out the following important update for physicians. Be sure to check your renewal status, and remind your patients to check their Medicaid coverage.

01/18/2024

Ohio Legislative Update!

January 18, 2024 – Last week, despite strong and consistent advocacy efforts by OSMA and a large coalition of medical organizations, members of the Ohio House of Representatives returned to Columbus in order to vote to overturn Governor DeWine’s veto of House Bill 68. As a reminder, HB 68 would ban gender-affirming care – including use of hormones, puberty blockers, and surgeries – for patients in Ohio under the age of 18. Also, members of the Ohio House have unanimously voted to pass House Bill 179—on vicarious liability in tort actions, and provides that the tolling of the limitations period during the defendant's absence or concealment does not apply to statutes of repose.

01/18/2024

Legal Update: Physician Wrongful Death Liability Claim Protections Upheld

January 18, 2024 – The Ohio Supreme Court confirmed limits on physician liability in wrongful death cases late in 2023.

01/17/2024

CMS Announces Final Rules Regulation Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization

January 17, 2024 – We are pleased to report that earlier this week, CMS announced its final rule package that will address some of the challenges physicians face with the prior authorization system.

01/03/2024

New Year Brings Medicaid Rate Increase for Ohio Physicians

January 3, 2024 – On January 1, the majority of the codes in the Ohio Medicaid fee schedule for non-institutional providers (this includes physicians) increased by 5% or more—thus resulting in $415 million in additional funding this year. Additionally, fee schedules for ambulatory surgery centers, vision services, and others have also increased. Securing the Medicaid rate increase was OSMA’s top legislative priority in 2023!

12/19/2023

Thank You for Your Support in 2023!

December 19, 2023 – We're looking forward to 2024... I want to thank every OSMA member for their support and for being a passionate advocate for our profession. During the past year, OSMA staff and leadership were involved in a wide variety of activities that I hope have benefitted every physician in Ohio—and will continue to do so. 2023 highlights include... 

12/15/2023

OSMA December Legislative Update

December 15, 2023 – The Ohio Legislature has completed its activities and recessed until the New Year, and the past several weeks at the Statehouse have been a whirlwind of hearings, meetings, and legislative sessions as legislators prepared to wind down for the holidays. Here’s a review of important and recent updates on issues your OSMA advocacy team has been involved in this year, and a brief peek at what these developments mean for our advocacy agenda in 2024.

12/14/2023

Take Action Now: New Medicare Payment Fix Bill Introduced

December 14, 2023 – As we have informed OSMA members over the last two months, unless Congress takes action, the 2024 Medicare physician fee schedule includes a 3.37% payment cut for physicians.

12/14/2023

State Medical Board and Ohio Legal Update

December 14, 2023 – The State Medical Board of Ohio (SMBO) met on December 13 to finalize the election of Board members, while the Supreme Court of Ohio has ordered the parties in Preterm Cleveland v Yost to submit briefs in the wake of the passage of Issue 2.

12/13/2023

Attention Medical Students: 2024 Fellowship Opportunity

December 13, 2023 – Have free time this upcoming summer?  Want to get a hands-on advocacy experience? The Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA) is looking for a driven and personable medical student for a 6-8 week internship in summer 2024!

12/06/2023

Advocacy Update: Help Avert the Medicare Payment Cut!

November 28, 2023 – In addition to our direct advocacy efforts, we’re asking members to contact Congress to help fix Medicare now. We need everyone’s help to avert the cut.

12/06/2023

OSMA Advocacy Leads to More Than $400 Million in Increased Medicaid Reimbursement

November 28, 2023 – OSMA’s top legislative priority for 2023 was to increase Medicaid reimbursement for physicians. Working with the administration, a provision to increase the Medicaid fee schedule was included in the initial budget proposal and remained in the version passed by both the House and Senate—and ultimately signed by the governor at the end of June.

12/04/2023

Need Help with Workers’ Compensation Issues?

December 4, 2023 – BWC Provider Engagement directors are available to serve as your personal contacts at the BWC. They offer you the latest updates, expertise, and convey your information regarding issues or concerns that need immediate attention. Reach out to a Provider Engagement director as soon as you need help with workers’ compensation and injury-management issues.

12/04/2023

Should You Offer Your Services as a Paid Clinical Expert?

December 4, 2023 – Healthcare practitioners frequently serve as independent experts in professional liability claims. You may be contacted by an attorney who asks you to review a case and render an opinion involving patient care provided by other medical, dental, or advanced practice clinicians.

11/27/2023

Medicaid Fee-for-Service Claim Denials & Reprocessing

November 27, 2023 – Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) and its Ohio Medicaid Enterprise System vendors are diligently focused on providing transparency and visibility regarding care and services.

11/26/2023

Improving Women’s Health in Primary Care

November 26, 2023 – The Weitzman ECHO interactive learning series for Ohio primary care medical providers, behavioral health providers, and other care team members will explore the complexity of common women’s health needs.

11/26/2023

Lead-Free Ohio Initiative

November 26, 2023 – Childhood lead poisoning continues to be a significant public health issue in Ohio. The Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics is offering new programming to assist practices and participate in the Lead-Free Ohio initiative.

11/14/2023

National Overdose Epidemic Report—How is Ohio Doing?

November 14, 2023 – Last week, the American Medical Association (AMA) released its 2023 Overdose Epidemic Report. It finds opioid prescribing by physicians and other health professionals decreased for the 13th consecutive year, down nearly 50% since 2012, while overdoses and deaths related to illicitly manufactured fentanyl, xylazine and other synthetic substances continue to increase.

11/14/2023

Be Aware—New Scam Targets Physicians in the Midwest

November 14, 2023 – This fall, physicians in the Midwest have been targeted in a very aggressive and dangerous financial scam. Be aware—here is what is happening...

11/14/2023

OSMA Working in the Courts to Protect Resident/Fellow Privacy

November 14, 2023 – This summer, OSMA’s legal team worked with several other physician and healthcare organizations to file an amicus brief in an important Ohio case arguing that peer review files of resident physicians should be held in confidence and not subject to discovery.

11/09/2023

No Surprises Act Update & Medical Board Meeting Summary

November 9, 2023 – As Congress enacted the No Surprises Act in 2020 to address the issue of “surprise medical bills” for patients and provider payment issues, the Biden administration has proposed a recent rule specifically addressing the Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) process. And as a reminder, this summer the Board eliminated the previous One Bite Program addressing physician substance use impairment in favor of a vastly more appropriate program structure.

11/09/2023

Election Recap: Ohio Voters Pass Issues 1 & 2

November 9, 2023 – After weeks of early in-person and absentee mail-in voting, the 2023 general election culminated in this week’s Election Day, with many Ohioans heading out to the polls to cast their votes on Tuesday. Numerous local races all over the state were decided by Ohio voters, and in the evening after the polls closed, all eyes were on the incoming results, particularly concerning statewide ballot issues 1 and 2.

11/08/2023

Upcoming Trainings: Ohio Medical Board’s New Confidential Monitoring Program

November 8, 2023 – The State Medical Board of Ohio (SMBO) developed a Confidential Monitoring Program in partnership with the Ohio Professionals Health Program (OhioPHP) for all licensees and applicants. This program is a confidential path for individuals to seek help for burnout, mental health, substance use disorders, and a therapeutic alternative to regulatory awareness.

11/01/2023

Medicare & Medicaid Updates: Important Reminders For Your Practice

November 1, 2023 – Over the last two weeks, OSMA has received a number of updates from CMS and Ohio Medicaid regarding Medicare and Medicaid coverage and reimbursement. Be sure to know the latest information on the MIPS Data Validation and Audit, Medicaid open enrollment process and deadline, and the Medicaid provider revalidation.

10/31/2023

AI and Healthcare: Past, Present, Promise, and Peril

October 31, 2023 – Artificial intelligence has gained a strong foothold in healthcare. This article from The Doctors Company and TDC Group, offers guidance on how healthcare providers should exercise extreme caution and diligence when utilizing AI in their practices.

10/26/2023

Report from OSMA Delegation to the AMA

October 26, 2023 – The OSMA Delegation to the American Medical Association (AMA) had the privilege of representing our association at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the AMA House of Delegates (HOD), from June 9 to 14 in Chicago, Illinois. The business of this Annual Meeting is robust and diverse in both range and topic. There were several hundred items of business (reports and resolutions) considered at the meeting. The Delegation worked throughout the summer to summarize our activities at the meeting for review by the OSMA Council and membership.

10/25/2023

Important Announcement from ODM on Claims Payment

October 25, 2023 – OSMA just received the following update and announcement from Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) regarding current claims denial issues.

10/19/2023

Advocacy Update: OSMA Advocates for Physicians on Numerous Major Issues

October 19, 2023 –Over the past few weeks, the Ohio Statehouse has been bustling with hearings, interested party meetings, and other activity, and your OSMA advocacy team, along with several OSMA physician members, have been busy in downtown Columbus to make physician voices heard.

10/19/2023

State Medical Board Confidential Monitoring Program Replaces One-Bite Program – What to Know

October 19, 2023 –The new program provides individual treatment plans and confidential (non-disciplinary) programming, along with the inclusion of physical and mental health related impairment in addition to substance abuse.

10/18/2023

GOP Doctors Caucus Releases Draft Reforms to the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

October 18, 2023 – Earlier this month the GOP Doctors Caucus released a discussion draft of legislation seeking to reform the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS).  In the press release, the Caucus outlined three main areas it hoped to address.

10/12/2023

Physician Foundation Fellowship Program

October 12, 2023 – Applications are Due Nov. 16. The Physician Foundation provided OSMA with the following announcement we’re providing to all members and encouraging those eligible and interested to apply.

10/04/2023

Ohio Medicaid Releases 2024 Fee Schedule Draft

October 4, 2023 – Earlier this year, OSMA was successful in advocating for a Medicaid rate increase in the state budget. A top priority for OSMA, in its entirety, for the 18-month period starting in January, estimates are that the increase should result in more than $200 million in new funding for physician professional services.

10/04/2023

Medicaid Claim Submission Reminders

October 4, 2023 – The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) recently provided an update on claims submissions for all Ohio physician practices. ODM is giving providers some important reminders and clarification on common questions.

10/03/2023

Important MIPS Dates & Upcoming Deadlines

October 3, 2023 – The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) sent out the following communication to remind physicians and practices about important dates related to the MIPS program. Be sure to update your calendars with these key dates and activities.

09/29/2023

OSMA Statement on Ohio Issues 1 and 2

September 29, 2023 – Press release: Columbus, Ohio – Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA), the state’s largest and oldest physician-led organization, issues the following statement on Ohio’s November ballot initiatives.

09/26/2023

Important Reminders on Ohio Medicaid Claim Submissions

September 26, 2023 – The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) recently provided the following update on claims submissions for all Ohio physician practices.

09/26/2023

Physician Well-Being Reflection from Our OSMA President

September 26, 2023 – Earlier this month I had the privilege of participating in an extremely important event and campaign focused on improving physician well-being and normalizing the discussion on mental health.

09/20/2023

Ohio Legislature Returns for the Fall: What’s on OSMA’s Agenda?

September 20, 2023 – Along with monitoring dozens of pieces of legislation so far this year, there are several items we will be focusing our advocacy efforts on heading into late September, October, and beyond.

09/19/2023

Regulatory & State Medical Board of Ohio Update

September 19, 2023 – The State Medical Board of Ohio (SMBO) has been working extensively to revise the regulatory structure for physicians in need of help with substance abuse, a mental health condition, or a physical impairment. Additionally, get an update on the Federal "No Surprises Act."

09/14/2023

National Physician Suicide Awareness Information

September 14, 2023 – OSMA is partnering with Disappearing Doctors to cohost an event The Disposables—an original collection of portraits honoring the 400+ physicians who die by suicide each year. The Disposables—created by artist Jeremy Rosario—depicts handcrafted portraits made from donated disposable medical supplies from doctors’ workplaces. The portraits will be on display for public viewing at the COhatch The Gateway starting on Monday Sept. 18 through Oct. 20.

09/05/2023

Health Insurance Coverage for your Practice

September 5, 2023 – One of the biggest costs facing employers today continues to be health insurance coverage for their employees. Costs are rising and coverage continues to change year to year...

09/05/2023

Noncomplaint Patients Increase Liability Risks for Practitioners

September 5, 2023 – The Doctors Company, outlines a number of patient safety strategies to manage noncompliant patients.

08/24/2023

2024 OSMA Annual Meeting – Key Dates & Deadlines

August 24, 2023 – OSMA's Annual Meeting will take place April 5-7, 2024 at the Renaissance Polaris Hotel in Columbus. We look forward to seeing everyone—and in the meantime, here is what to plan for...

08/23/2023

CMS Seeking Comments on Quality Payment Program in 2024 Physician Fee Schedule Changes

August 23, 2023 – Provide your feedback on the proposed changes to the Quality Payment Program by September 11. CMS recently sent out the following request to all physicians...

08/17/2023

Save these Dates to Connect with OSMA's Leadership Team

August 17, 2023 – Join our live updates on the following dates for a brief audio interaction on how your OSMA team is working to advance important state legislative and regulatory issues that protect you and your patients.

08/17/2023

OSMA Collaborates to Reform Medicare’s Payment System

August 17, 2023 – OSMA has joined with the AMA and other state and national medical association to reform Medicare’s broken physician payment system. The AMA sent the below alert to physicians across the country to contact members of congress when their home for the August recess. We encourage all OSMA members to contact congress and stress the importance of fixing Medicare now.

08/08/2023

Meet OSMA Foundation Summer Scholar, Adriane Weininger

Aug 8, 2023 – Adriane is working at the VA hospital in Columbus on a quality improvement project to identify gaps in behavioral health and find ways to minimize them—as well as also trying to identify why there are missed opportunities (no-shows) and if there is an overarching reason behind it.

08/04/2023

CMS Announces New Dementia Model

August 4, 2023 – On July 31, CMS made the following announcement regarding a new dementia model.

08/04/2023

OSMA Advocacy Priorities for Physician & Patient Mental Health Passed in Ohio Budget

August 4, 2023 – During the spring state budget process, OSMA advocated for funding to secure the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in Ohio, and changes to how to better protect physicians' personal data on the medical board's website.

08/02/2023

Young Physician Section: Your Input Needed!

August 2, 2023 – The Young Physician Section (YPS) of OSMA would like YPS member thoughts on starting a series of informal virtual gatherings to address a variety of issues of importance to you in support of your professional and personal life. These will be private virtual meetings open only to OSMA YPS members.

08/02/2023

OSMA Advocacy Delivers: Medicaid Physician Fee Schedule Increase Coming in 2024

August 2, 2023 – During the spring state budget process, OSMA advocated for an increase in the Medicaid physician fee schedule. The final passed and signed version included language for a 5% increase.

08/01/2023

Dealing With Online Patient Complaints

August 1, 2023 – Clinicians are understandably concerned about their reputations and the consequences of any negative comments posted about them on social media platforms. Although the web can be a powerful tool for healthcare practices, it becomes problematic when patients post unfavorable opinions.

08/01/2023

Meet OSMA Foundation Summer Scholar, Connor Riegal

Aug 1, 2023 – Connor is pursuing internship opportunity at Stanford University in the Brain Stimulation Lab to conduct research focused on novel approaches to treat psychiatric illness using deep brain stimulation as well as using neuroimaging to find predictive markets for the prognosis of these conditions.

07/26/2023

Meet OSMA Foundation Summer Scholar, Michaela Stamper

July 26, 2023 – Michaela is working to conduct interviews of relevant stakeholders across the Northeast Ohio community to do an in-depth analysis of the current state of minority community needs and access to care and resources.

07/25/2023

Regulatory/Medical Board Update

July 25, 2023 – The State Medical Board of Ohio met on Wednesday, July 12—updating the list of conditions treatable with medical marijuana to 26, and amending license application questions to align with nationally recognized mental health practices for physicians.

07/25/2023

2024 Proposed Medicare Physician Payment Schedule

July 25, 2023 – Earlier this month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released the proposed rule for the calendar year (CY) 2024 Medicare Physician Payment Schedule. Our advocacy partners at the national level, the American Medical Association (AMA), provided the following overview of key provisions.

07/24/2023

National Study to Document Changes in Physician Practice Expense—Your Input is Needed

July 24, 2023 – The American Medical Association (AMA) is undertaking a new national study, supported by 173 healthcare organizations, (including the OSMA) to collect representative data on physician practice expenses. The aim of the Physician Practice Information (PPI) Survey is to better understand the costs faced by today’s physician practices to support physician payment advocacy.

07/20/2023

Monthly Advocacy Update from Monica Hueckel

July 20, 2023 – Hear firsthand from OSMA's advocacy leadership on current issues we're working on in the legislative space, including state budget wins for physicians and the practice of medicine, insurance and prior auth issues, public health topics, and some recent scope of practice activity.

07/13/2023

Are Insurance Companies Paying You Correctly?—OSMA Can Help

July 13, 2023 – You have analyzed your contracts, negotiated with the payers, and set new rates. Your job may look finished, but the fun is just starting! Short of reviewing every EOB and ERA, how can you ensure that the new rates are loaded correctly and that procedures are paid appropriately? What are medical practices nationwide doing to confirm that claims are being paid according to contract? What about multiple procedure discounts, modifiers, different rates for different specialties, and other contracting nuances? Should you take a different approach to underpayments vs. denials?

07/12/2023

Provider Funding Available for Patient Nicotine Cessation Efforts

July 12, 2023 – New funding is available for health, medical, behavioral health, and dental providers to help them develop or improve their patient nicotine cessation policies, procedures, and practices through the Ohio Department of Health Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Program (TUPCP). Up to $5,100 is available based on the completion of several deliverables.

07/11/2023

Meet OSMA Foundation Summer Scholar, Aditya Mistry

July 11, 2023 – Aditya's research focuses on social determinants of health for PSA screening of individuals with prostate cancer, and analyzing surgical intervention vs. conservational management of large Staghorn kidney stones.

07/05/2023

State Budget Bill Passed, Signed by Governor

OSMA Champions New Medicaid Physician Payment Increase Included in Budget Legislation

July 5, 2023 – This spring, the Ohio Legislature embarked on the biennial state budget process, tasked with passing legislation creating the budget for fiscal years 2024-2025. The Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA)’s Government Relations team engaged with legislators on many health care budget items from the start, when the governor’s initial proposal for the budget was released.

06/28/2023

Meet OSMA Foundation Summer Scholar, Ethan Kosco

June 28, 2023 – Ethan is pursuing an orthopedic spine surgery internship at the Harvard University Medical School Brigham and Women’s Hospital, applying knowledge of regenerative medicine, learning research skills in the stem cell vertebral disc degeneration lab, and observing how research is translated in the operating room.

06/27/2023

IMG Member Spotlight with John A. Sharma, MD

June 27, 2023 – OSMA is proud to be launching the International Medical Graduate (IMG) Section. Recognizing that physicians representing international medical schools bring a wealth of diversity and are a vital part of Ohio’s physician community.

06/27/2023

IMG Member Spotlight with Mohammed M. A. Hakim, MD

June 27, 2023 – OSMA is proud to be launching the International Medical Graduate (IMG) Section. Recognizing that physicians representing international medical schools bring a wealth of diversity and are a vital part of Ohio’s physician community.

06/22/2023

Meet OSMA Foundation Summer Scholar, Sydney Bitting

June 22, 2023 – My summer internship involves research in my interestes of neurology and PM&R. In addition to this research, I am working on a hematology-oncology case report through Akron Children's Hospital and am volunteering at the Akron Rotary Camp that supports children with disabilities.

06/21/2023

AMA Annual Meeting Recap – Ohio Well Represented by OSMA Members

June 21, 2023 – Earlier this month the American Medical Association (AMA) held its annual meeting in Chicago. The OSMA Delegation was extremely active in the policy making process.

06/20/2023

IMG Member Spotlight with Rajpal S. Aujla, MD

June 20, 2023 – OSMA is proud to be launching the International Medical Graduate (IMG) Section. Recognizing that physicians representing international medical schools bring a wealth of diversity and are a vital part of Ohio’s physician community.

06/19/2023

You Did It! We've Reached Our Spring Fundraising Goal

June 19, 2023 - Thanks to your generosity, our goal of raising $20,000 by June has been met—continuing our dedication to Fueling Physician Futures!

06/15/2023

OSMA Provides Key Supportive Testimony for Ohio Prior Authorization “Gold Card” Bill

June 15, 2023 – HB 130 was introduced in the Ohio House in March by Rep. Kevin Miller (R-Newark), and is one of OSMA’s major legislative advocacy priorities this year. The bill, if enacted, would create an exemption system that rewards Ohio healthcare providers who consistently receive a prior authorization approval rate of 80% or more for a specific service, device, or drug in the prior 12-month period.

06/14/2023

OSMA Supports AMA “Fix Medicare Now” Initiative

June 14, 2023 – In addition to reforming prior authorization at the state and federal level, OSMA joins the AMA and organized medicine across the country to fix major flaws in the Medicare physician fee schedule.

06/14/2023

Meet OSMA Foundation Summer Scholar, Trent James

June 14, 2023 – My summer internship involves research on alveolar clefts in the Plastic Surgery Department of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center.

06/06/2023

Medicare & Medicaid Updates—Registration is Open!

June 6, 2023 – Join us for OSMA's annual Medicare & Medicaid Updates with tips, policies and resources—keeping you in compliance, and helping to get your claims paid in a timely, appropriate way. Payer rules and policies are constantly changing!

06/06/2023

New MATE Act's 8-Hour Training Requirements

June 6, 2023 – The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released materials in March 2023 related to the new Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act. The Act requires new or renewing DEA licensees, as of June 27, 2023, to have completed a total of at least eight hours of training on opioid or other substance use disorders and the appropriate treatment of pain.

06/05/2023

Meet OSMA Foundation Summer Scholar, Elizabeth Abrams

June 5, 2023 – My summer internship is a research project through Ohio State University College of Medicine, with the Department of Emergency Medicine.

06/01/2023

A Focus on Men's Health Month—Q&A with Eric Drobny, MD

June 1, 2023 – Men’s Health Month is in June. Why do you think it’s important to recognize Men’s Health Month and put an emphasis on this area? 

05/31/2023

Post Public Health Emergency FAQ

May 31, 2022 – The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) ended on May 11, 2023, which changes many federal policies established during the pandemic. OSMA is working to keep members updated as guidance is available.

05/31/2023

Cigna Update to Modifier 25 Policy

May 31, 2022 – Cigna has updated its modifier 25 policy to announce a delay in implementing the required submission of documentation to support the use of modifier 25 when billed with E/M CPT codes 99212 – 99215 and a minor procedure.

05/30/2023

Our 2023 Summer Scholars Recipients!

May 30, 2023 - Thanks to your generosity, we are thrilled to introduce the 2023 cohort of OSMA Foundation Summer Scholars scholarship recipients! Look for more in-depth profiles of each of these Summer Scholars throughout June and July. The future of medicine is certainly bright.

05/25/2023

Take Action: Contact Congress to Fix Prior Authorization

May 25, 2023 – In addition to our efforts at the state level with HB 130, OSMA is also involved with our national and state partners to reform prior authorization practices in Medicare Advantage plans.

05/25/2023

Introducing OSMA’s New President: A Q&A with Eric Drobny, MD

May 23, 2023 – We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Drobny as our new President, and we thank Dr. Brian Santin who tactfully completed his term. Read on to learn more about Dr. Drobny, his medical career, and his vision for leading OSMA.

05/24/2023

Medical Liability Claim Frequency Study

May 24, 2023 – A new analysis from the American Medical Association (AMA) finds the possibility of being sued during a career in medicine is very real for most doctors, which is notable given that most claims end with no finding of negligence or error.

05/17/2023

OSMA Spring Legislative Update

May 17, 2023 - The OSMA government relations team continues activity related to the state budget bill, which recently passed out of the Ohio House and is now in hearings in the Ohio Senate Finance Committee. As summer approaches, OSMA has been involved in advocacy efforts regarding several pieces of legislation in the last few weeks.

05/16/2023

Public Health Emergency Ends

May 16, 2023 - On Thursday, May 11, 2023, the federally declared Public Health Emergency (PHE) ended. As many flexibilities for physicians and practices were provided by federal regulatory agencies during the PHE, it is important to know which, if any, of those flexibilities will be going away.

05/09/2023

Volunteer Opportunities with OSMA—We Need Your Input!

May 9, 2023 - After our annual meeting, we reach out to members looking for volunteers to participate in key organizational initiatives. This year, we’re hoping you will consider volunteering for one of the following committees...

05/08/2023

COVID-19 Vaccine Expiration Reminder

May 8, 2023 - This week, the Ohio Department of Health sent out a reminder to providers of COVID-19 vaccines about recent expiration awareness. NOTE: All remaining doses of Johnson & Johnson (J&J)/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine expired on Saturday, May 6, 2023. 

05/08/2023

Curbside Consultations: Patient Safety and Legal Risks

May 8, 2023 – Informal, or “curbside,” consultations among healthcare practitioners represent an important part of clinical practice and help to promote a collegial relationship in both the clinic and hospital settings.

05/04/2023

Medicare Annual Visits: How to make them work in your office

May 4, 2023 - Medicare annual wellness visits provide an important opportunity to promote health and to provide disease screening and advance care planning with patients who have Medicare. However, billing for the wrong visit or at the wrong time can result in denied claims.

05/04/2023

Tort Reform in Ohio: 20-Year Anniversary Reflections

May 4, 2023 – OSMA Exclusive Partner, The Doctors Company (TDC) CEO and Chairman, Dr. Richard Anderson reflects on the history of tort reform in Ohio.

05/03/2023

Are Employee Health Insurance Costs Giving You a Headache?

May 3, 2023 – OSMA can help. According to a recent survey of 1,000 employers by Forbes Advisor, employer-sponsored health coverage is the most important benefit to employees in 2023. Yet one of the biggest costs facing employers today continues to be health insurance coverage for employees.

05/03/2023

United Healthcare to Reduce Prior Authorizations

May 3, 2023 - OSMA's continued focus at the state and federal level is starting to result in individual plans announcing revisions to prior authorization practices. We’re also supporting HB 130 in Ohio that creates a prior authorization gold card and we anticipate additional legislation in Ohio related to prior authorization and billing later this year.

05/03/2023

Updates to Coverage for COVID-19 Tests

May 3, 2023 - The ending of the Public Health Emergency may impact an individual’s coverage of COVID-19 tests. CMS is encouraging that you know these changes and share the New Consumer Fact Sheet on COVID-19 tests.

04/27/2023

OSMA Advocates for Medicare Physician Payment Changes

April 27, 2023 – OSMA has joined with more than 120 other state and national medical societies communicating our support to the sponsors of H.R. 2474—the Strengthening Medicare for Patients and Providers Act.

04/25/2023

Advocacy Update on Non-Compete Proposed Rule 

April 25, 2023 – In January of this year, the Federal Trade Commission issued notice of a proposed rule which would prohibit non-compete agreements between nearly every employee/employer under the FTC’s jurisdiction, including physician employment agreements.

04/24/2023

Webinars to Help Prepare for the End of the Public Health Emergency

April 24, 2023 - On May 11, 2023, the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) is set to expire. Healthcare providers continue to implement COVID protocols and navigate the ever-changing healthcare regulations at both the federal and state levels, therefore it is important to take time to prepare for the ending of the Public Health Emergency (PHE). Here are some webinars to help you plan...

04/24/2023

OSMA/National Response to Cigna's Re-release of Modifier 25 Policy

April 24, 2023 – Cigna is re-releasing its policy to require the submission of medical records with all Evaluation and Management (E/M) claims with CPT 99212-99215 and modifier 25 when a minor procedure is billed. Last week, OSMA joined the AMA and almost 100 other state and national medical/specialty societies in a collective letter urging Cigna to reconsider this policy.

04/19/2023

Medical Student Abstract Poster Competition

New this year as part of the OSMA annual meeting, medical students were invited to submit an abstract for poster presentation. This was an excellent opportunity for students to become involved in the OSMA Annual Meeting and to enhance their reputation both within and outside their institution – and to network with physicians about policy, research, career interests and more.

04/19/2023

Training Opportunities for New DEA License Requirements

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released materials in March 2023 related to the new Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act. The Act requires new or renewing DEA licensees, as of June 27, 2023, to have completed a total of at least eight hours of training on opioid or other substance use disorders and the appropriate treatment of pain.

03/26/2023

Member Q&A with Jay Williamson, MD

March 26, 2023 – OSMA member leaders work tirelessly on behalf of our members to ensure OSMA is meeting the needs of physicians and responding to the ever-changing healthcare landscape. We’d like to spotlight Dr. Jay Williamson.

02/21/2023

Student Member Q&A with David Warner

February 21, 2023 – OSMA member leaders work tirelessly on behalf of our members to ensure OSMA is meeting the needs of physicians and responding to the ever-changing healthcare landscape. We’d like to spotlight a student member, David Warner.

08/01/2022

Your Well-being Checkup And Referral Engagement Service

August 1, 2022 – The need for well-being support has never been higher, and the OSMA Foundation is supporting Ohio's healthcare workforce with a way to measure factors like personal anxiety, depression and burnout and connect with credible resources who can help.

05/10/2022

OSMA Foundation Awards 6 Summer Scholars Stipends

May 10, 2022 - The Foundation's April reception was an opportunity to meet and celebrate our first cohort of Summer Scholars. Read on for more information about these bright medical students and how the OSMA Foundation Summer Scholars program is helping them pursue summer research and clinical opportunities to advance public health.

04/26/2022

Introducing OSMA’s New President: A Q&A with Brian Santin, MD

April 26, 2022 – We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Santin as our new President, and we thank Dr. Lisa B. Egbert who tactfully completed her term. Read on to learn more about Dr. Santin, his medical career, and his vision for leading OSMA.

02/16/2022

Member Q&A with John A. Bastulli, MD

February 16, 2022

01/24/2022

Council Q&A with Shannon C. Trotter, DO

January 24, 2022

12/20/2021

Member Q&A with Jeffrey R. Leipzig, MD

December 20, 2021

11/22/2021

Council Q&A with John R. Corker, MD, FACEP

November 22, 2021

10/14/2021

Council Q&A with Gregory Surfield, MD, FACS

October 13, 2021

09/07/2021

Council Q&A with Michelle Knopp, MD

September 7, 2021

08/24/2021

Council Q&A with Mary LaPlante, MD, FACOG

August 24, 2021

07/28/2021

Council Q&A with Mary LaPlante, MD, FACOG

July 28, 2021

04/23/2021

Introducing OSMA’s New President: A Q&A with Lisa Egbert, MD

April 23, 2021 – We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Egbert as our new President, and we thank Dr. Anthony Armstrong who skillfully completed his term. Read on to learn more about Dr. Egbert, her medical career, and her vision for leading OSMA.

02/11/2021

Health Equity Q&A with OSMA President Anthony Armstrong, MD

February 11, 2021 - The COVID-19 pandemic and elevated conversations about racial justice have brought the issue of healthcare equity to the forefront for healthcare professionals everywhere. As we support members in 2021, we’re pleased to share thoughts from OSMA President Anthony Armstrong, MD on health equity and what this means for Ohio physicians.

08/01/2019

Ohio Physicians Give Feedback on Medicaid Managed Care Program

Many of our members provide daily patient care to Ohio’s Medicaid population and thus are uniquely qualified to provide meaningful information to assist the Ohio Department of Medicaid in its upcoming competitive Medicaid managed care procurement process. The comments we received from our members generally centered on areas where improvement is most desired, including plan accountability, grievances and appeals, provider support, benefits and delivery, and care coordination and management.

07/18/2019

Ohio Budget Process Complete

The OSMA Government Relations team has been engaging with legislators on health care-related budget items since the governor’s initial proposal was released, and has been following and participating in the ongoing debates about a number of health policy decisions.

07/18/2019

Terminating Patient Relationships

Just as it is an acceptable and reasonable practice to screen incoming patients, it is acceptable and reasonable to know when to end patient relationships that are no longer therapeutic. It is critical, however, to end the patient relationship in a manner that will not lead to claims of discrimination or abandonment.

07/18/2019

Ohio Physician Wellness Coalition Offers Online CME Courses

The Ohio Physician Wellness Coalition (OPWC), which represents Ohio physicians and hospitals and focuses on addressing physician burnout, launched six videos in its continuing medical education (CME) wellness video series.

07/18/2019

Training Managers Who Walk the Walk

Identifying and training role models in your business or practice is key to creating a positive, productive work environment. Which managers should you cultivate as role models to lead your organization?

06/06/2019

New Pain Management Toolkit Available

A new state toolkit designed to assist primary care doctors who prescribe opioids will be released this month by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH).

06/06/2019

The $4.6 Billion Price Tag of Physician Burnout

To put a price on burnout, the study authors culled data from recent research findings and reports — including direct or inferred findings on doctors cutting back on hours or quitting as a result of burnout.

05/16/2019

Ohio’s Health Value Needs to be Better Now

Ohio is ranked 46 out of the 50 states and the District of Columbia according to the 2019 Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO) Health Value Dashboard—landing the Buckeye state in the bottom quartile.

04/25/2019

Concerns about U.S. Measles Outbreak

A recent poll by The Doctors Company received 9,459 responses to the question: How concerned are you as a healthcare provider about the recent U.S. measles outbreak?

04/25/2019

Hiring Friends and Family at the Office Is a Bad Idea

If your sister is pressuring you to hire your nephew for that much-coveted summer internship position so he can get his “foot in the door,” don’t give in to temptation.

03/28/2019

The 3-Minute Guide to Creating a Modern Website

How to Go Beyond an Online Business Card and Build an Effective Online Presence...

03/28/2019

Dollars & Sense: The State Budget

Earlier this week, the state budget became a bill on Capitol Hill—or at least on Capitol Square in Columbus, Ohio. The OSMA has completed an initial review of the bill language...

03/28/2019

On-Demand Care for YOU

As part of its commitment to the well-being of all physicians in the state of Ohio, the OSMA Physician Well-Being Committee recently launched an online hub...

03/14/2019

Oxycon"tained" Again in 2018

Pharmacy Board Releases Compelling OARRS Data... This week, the State of Ohio Pharmacy Board reported that the number of opioids dispensed to Ohioans dropped by 325 million from 2012 or 2018.

02/28/2019

OSMA Goes to Washington

Earlier this month, several OSMA members along with the OSMA Government Relations staff traveled to Washington DC to meet with members of Congress to discuss how existing laws are affecting patients and practices.

02/28/2019

Lions, and Tigers and Boards, Oh My!

Vision for the Future Commission released its final report to the American Board of Medical Specialties Board of Directors early this month.

02/28/2019

This Bud’s for You (or Your Patients)

Within the first month that the medical marijuana program was running in the state of Ohio, nearly $1M in sales were recorded, but questions remain.

02/27/2019

Take Control of Rising Healthcare Costs

The OSMA understands the struggles to maintain an independent practice. This is one reason why the OSMA decided to offer an OSMA managed, self-funded health care plan.

02/15/2019

2019 OSMA Annual Meeting—Resolutions Posted

All resolutions received by the Wednesday, February 6th deadline have been posted to the website so you can start to review them. We will post background information as we receive it.

02/14/2019

Despite 21% Decrease in Overdose Deaths, Ohio Still Has Work to Do

According to a recent CDC report, Ohio saw a significant decrease – 21.4% - in overdose fatalities in July 2017 through June 2018; second in the nation only to Washington DC, which saw a 24.2% decrease.

01/10/2019

Make Sure to Do your Annual HR Check Up

Now that 2019 is underway, it is essential that you make sure your company is in compliance with state and federal regulatory updates.

01/03/2019

Physician Well-Being: The Real 5th Vital Sign

"The reason we should care about burnout is because it has the potential for serious consequences on the quality of patient care and safety, patient satisfaction, professionalism, physicians’ own care and safety, and the viability of the health care system..."

12/06/2018

Ohio Medical Marijuana Patient Registry Opens: What it Means for Doctors

The amount of product will be extremely limited, as growers and dispensaries come online throughout 2019.

01/24/2024

Free PPE Offered by Department of Health

January 24, 2024 – The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is offering non-sterile personal protective equipment (PPE) to you at no charge. The PPE (gloves, masks, gowns, hand sanitizer, etc.) was purchased as part of Ohio‘s public health response during the COVID-19 pandemic.

10/31/2023

AI and Healthcare: Past, Present, Promise, and Peril

October 31, 2023 – Artificial intelligence has gained a strong foothold in healthcare. This article from The Doctors Company and TDC Group, offers guidance on how healthcare providers should exercise extreme caution and diligence when utilizing AI in their practices.

09/26/2023

Physician Well-Being Reflection from Our OSMA President

September 26, 2023 – Earlier this month I had the privilege of participating in an extremely important event and campaign focused on improving physician well-being and normalizing the discussion on mental health.

09/14/2023

National Physician Suicide Awareness Information

September 14, 2023 – OSMA is partnering with Disappearing Doctors to cohost an event The Disposables—an original collection of portraits honoring the 400+ physicians who die by suicide each year. The Disposables—created by artist Jeremy Rosario—depicts handcrafted portraits made from donated disposable medical supplies from doctors’ workplaces. The portraits will be on display for public viewing at the COhatch The Gateway starting on Monday Sept. 18 through Oct. 20.

09/05/2023

Noncomplaint Patients Increase Liability Risks for Practitioners

September 5, 2023 – The Doctors Company, outlines a number of patient safety strategies to manage noncompliant patients.

08/01/2023

Dealing With Online Patient Complaints

August 1, 2023 – Clinicians are understandably concerned about their reputations and the consequences of any negative comments posted about them on social media platforms. Although the web can be a powerful tool for healthcare practices, it becomes problematic when patients post unfavorable opinions.

05/31/2023

Post Public Health Emergency FAQ

May 31, 2022 – The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) ended on May 11, 2023, which changes many federal policies established during the pandemic. OSMA is working to keep members updated as guidance is available.

05/08/2023

COVID-19 Vaccine Expiration Reminder

May 8, 2023 - This week, the Ohio Department of Health sent out a reminder to providers of COVID-19 vaccines about recent expiration awareness. NOTE: All remaining doses of Johnson & Johnson (J&J)/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine expired on Saturday, May 6, 2023. 

05/03/2023

Updates to Coverage for COVID-19 Tests

May 3, 2023 - The ending of the Public Health Emergency may impact an individual’s coverage of COVID-19 tests. CMS is encouraging that you know these changes and share the New Consumer Fact Sheet on COVID-19 tests.

04/24/2023

Webinars to Help Prepare for the End of the Public Health Emergency

April 24, 2023 - On May 11, 2023, the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) is set to expire. Healthcare providers continue to implement COVID protocols and navigate the ever-changing healthcare regulations at both the federal and state levels, therefore it is important to take time to prepare for the ending of the Public Health Emergency (PHE). Here are some webinars to help you plan...

04/19/2023

Medical Student Abstract Poster Competition

New this year as part of the OSMA annual meeting, medical students were invited to submit an abstract for poster presentation. This was an excellent opportunity for students to become involved in the OSMA Annual Meeting and to enhance their reputation both within and outside their institution – and to network with physicians about policy, research, career interests and more.

08/01/2022

Your Well-being Checkup And Referral Engagement Service

August 1, 2022 – The need for well-being support has never been higher, and the OSMA Foundation is supporting Ohio's healthcare workforce with a way to measure factors like personal anxiety, depression and burnout and connect with credible resources who can help.

02/16/2022

Member Q&A with John A. Bastulli, MD

February 16, 2022

01/24/2022

Council Q&A with Shannon C. Trotter, DO

January 24, 2022

12/20/2021

Member Q&A with Jeffrey R. Leipzig, MD

December 20, 2021

11/22/2021

Council Q&A with John R. Corker, MD, FACEP

November 22, 2021

10/14/2021

Council Q&A with Gregory Surfield, MD, FACS

October 13, 2021

09/07/2021

Council Q&A with Michelle Knopp, MD

September 7, 2021

08/24/2021

Council Q&A with Mary LaPlante, MD, FACOG

August 24, 2021