State Officials, Others Plead for Ohioans to Get Vaccinated

Ohio leaders continue to plead for residents to get vaccinated, wear masks, and socially distance. On Tuesday, Gov. Mike DeWine joined six children’s hospitals across the state to appeal to school districts to require masks. Yesterday, Ohio Department of Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, was joined by hospital representatives to highlight the growing concern about hospital capacity.
 
DeWine said the data shows there’s a higher level of COVID-19 in school districts where masks are not required. Specifically:

• Since August 15, 2021, there have been 29,823 Ohio school-aged kids ages 5 to 17 with confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19.
• Cases among this age group increased 198% from the week of August 15 as compared to the week ending September 4.
• As reported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, COVID-19 cases among children have increased 240% nationally since early July when the delta variant began to surge. During that same period in Ohio, there has been a 2000% increase in cases among Ohio children.
• COVID-19 cases are increasing at nearly twice the rate among school-aged kids as compared to the rest of the population. This past week Ohio saw a 44% increase among school-aged children while a 17% percent increase among the rest of the population.
• Over the two-week period ending September 4, 2021, there was an average of 909 cases per 100,000 school-aged Ohio kids versus 561 cases per 100,000 people comprising the rest of the population.
• In Ohio school districts where masks are optional, among school-aged kids, there are both higher case rates per 100,000 at 945.7 and a greater week-over-week increase in cases. School districts where masks are optional have seen a 54% week-over-week increase compared to a 34% increase in school districts where masks are either required for all or required for some (usually K-8).

Vanderhoff said a year ago, there were 1,000 cases and 103 patients admitted to the hospital. By contrast, there are currently (as of Wednesday) 7,747 new cases and 292 people were admitted.
 
Regarding booster shots, Vanderhoff said Ohio is waiting for federal approval before finalizing state plans.
 
As of this afternoon, 62.21% of eligible Ohioans (age 12 and up) have started the vaccine process. Vaccination rates exceed 80% for people age 65 and above.

They’re Back!

The Ohio Senate returned this week from its summer break. The Health Committee and Insurance Committee both met Wednesday and considered several bills:

• HB 37 increases the frequency a pharmacist may dispense certain drugs on an emergency basis.
• HB 122 establishes requirements for telehealth services.
• SB 220 caps the cost of insulin at $35 for a 30-day supply.

It was the first hearing for SB 220, which has bipartisan sponsorship. According to the sponsors, similar laws have been passed in 20 states. The current average price of a vial of insulin is $250.
 
In the Ohio House, Rep. Jennifer Gross, sponsor of HB 248, is taking steps to have her anti-vaccination bill bypass the Committee process and go directly to the floor for a vote. She needs 50 of her House colleagues to sign the discharge petition. To date, there have been 11 drafts of the bill and dozens of witnesses have submitted testimony to the Committee.
 
Gross said she is pushing for an immediate vote in light of President Joe Biden’s announcement that employers with a workforce of 100 or more will need to require employee COVID-19 vaccinations. HB 248 would block public agencies, schools and others from requiring vaccinations for any infectious disease.
 
Redistricting will top the legislative agenda this month. The Commission approved maps, 5-2, along partisan lines. The process now moves to legislators, who have a September 30 deadline to draw Ohio’s congressional districts.

SMBO Adopts New Rules

The rules listed below were adopted by the State Medical Board of Ohio at its September 8 meeting. They are effective on September 30, 2021.

• Standards and procedures for review of Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System (OARRS) change in reference to the Administrative Code
• Pronouncement of Death
• Delegation of Medical Tasks
• Sexual Misconduct and Impropriety 

New Provider Relief Funding Available

The Department of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), announced $25.5 billion in new funding for health care providers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding includes $8.5 billion in American Rescue Plan resources for providers who serve rural Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or Medicare patients, and an additional $17 billion for Provider Relief Fund Phase 4 for a broad range of providers who can document revenue loss and expenses associated with the pandemic.
 
Applications will open on September 29. To streamline the application process and minimize administrative burdens, providers will apply for both programs in a single application and HRSA will use existing Medicaid/CHIP and Medicare claims data in calculating portions of these payments.
 
For more information see the summary here. 

Medicaid to Hold Training

The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) is announcing October training dates for the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment tool. Ohio Medicaid is in the process of rolling out a new program, OhioRISE (Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence), a specialized managed care program for youth with complex behavioral health and multi-system needs.
 
The CANS is a support tool in the clinical decision-making process to determine eligibility into OhioRISE, level of care, and service planning. The Ohio CANS assessment tool has been developed for broad application across multiple systems, including youth involved in child protection, developmental disability, department of youth services, and mental health and addiction. This ensures youth only need to go through one assessment across multiple providers.
 
For individuals that have not been trained to administer the CANS, a TCOM (Transformational Collaborative Outcomes Management) and Ohio Children’s Initiative CANS Comprehensive training will be required for certification to conduct CANS assessments. Please note, the TCOM and Ohio Children’s Initiative CANS Comprehensive trainings need to be taken sequentially and within the same month.
 
The October training dates, FAQ, how to create an account and register, and an enrollment guide are here. The state is covering the cost of the training.
 
For questions related to course registration or enrollment contact support@tcomtraining.com.

Free Buprenorphine Training Module Available

The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has launched a 1-hour training module to educate medical professionals and students on prescribing buprenorphine to patients with opioid use disorder. Buprenorphine Mini-Course: Building on Federal Prescribing Guidance is a free introductory-level course available on demand.

The module expands on SAMHSA’s recently released Buprenorphine Quick Start Guide, and offers practical considerations for buprenorphine initiation, dosing and ongoing patient management.

BWC Seeks Comment

The Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation is seeking feedback on proposed revisions to its outpatient medication formulary.
 
BWC has already completed a review of the appendix to Ohio Administrative Code 4123-6-21.3. A copy of the rule is here and the appendix is here. Formulary changes highlighted in yellow were sent for feedback in August, and formulary changes highlighted in turquoise are new changes since then.
 
To submit feedback, send your comments, contact information, and specialty to ProviderFeedback@bwc.state.oh.us. Deadline is September 20.