02/26/2016

Medical Board Shelves “One-Bite” Legislation For Now

Medical groups successfully persuade the Board to halt plan to eliminate program

Back in November, we informed Chapter members about the State Medical Board of Ohio’s (SMBO) preliminary draft of a bill to eliminate Ohio’s “one-bite” rule, which allows physicians to seek mental health or substance abuse treatment without notifying the Medical Board.

Ohio ACEP and eight other medical societies—operating under the umbrella of the Medical Association Coalition (MAC)—were deeply concerned about the draft legislation and its potential to discourage physicians from seeking help for substance abuse and mental health issues. By working collaboratively with the Medical Association Coalition, the State Medical Board, and other stakeholders, we were able to successfully communicate our concerns. As a result, the Medical Board has notified us that the draft legislation has been suspended for now.

Though the Medical Board has pulled the legislation for the time being, this is an ongoing issue. The Board has indicated that they are still interested in revising the one-bite program, and we are pleased to report that the they have invited MAC member organizations to participate in a working group to improve the one-bite program moving forward.

The first working group meeting will be held on March 23. Be on the lookout for updates from the one-bite working group!