by J.D. Davidson
A concurrence from the House of Representatives is all that stands in the way of reinforcing Ohio hospital requirements to provide transparency in pricing.
Both the Senate and House passed slightly different versions of House Bill 49, which requires hospitals to comply with the federal price transparency law. This includes maintaining and making a public list of standard charges for services a patient can schedule in advance.
“Ohioans deserve the opportunity to do their own health care research,” said Sen. Mark Romachuk, R-Ontario. “The federal government has already implemented this policy but having it as state law will protect access in case the federal law is not enforced. Patient rights should be preserved to make a basic decision when they need health service.”
If a legislative agreement is reached and signed by Gov. Mike DeWine, the bill would require any hospital not in compliance to pay a penalty. It would also stop medical debt collectors from sharing or reporting any patient medical debt to an agency for one year after the patient’s first bill.
Romachuk, along with Sen. Vernon Sykes, D-Akron, also pushed Senate passage of a bill that would allow courts to issue, update or extend child support orders for people more than 18 years old who have a disability.
According to Romachuk, 645,000 Ohio children have at least one type of disability and 22.2% have an intellectual or developmental disability. Also, 34.5% of children in the state require specialized health care.
“It is essential for children and adults with disabilities to receive family support for their overall well-being,” Romachuk said. “This simple update will give families the ability to continue their loving care of their children and help countless Ohioans receive the care they may need throughout their entire lives.”
That bill now heads to the House.
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An Ohio native, J.D. Davidson is a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience in newspapers in Ohio, Georgia, Alabama and Texas. He has served as a reporter, editor, managing editor and publisher. Davidson is a regional editor for The Center Square.
