09/12/2019

Networking Reception & Policy Forum

Plan to attend a FREE event near you this September or October. Please RSVP to attend...

09/10/2019

Electronic Health Records Continue to Lead to Medical Malpractice Suits

EHR-related medical malpractice suits are becoming more common. For eight years, claims in which the use of EHRs contributed to patient injury have been on the rise.

09/10/2019

OSMA Continues to Advocate For Prior Authorization Reform

The OSMA joined with the AMA and numerous other national and state medical organizations in calling for major prior authorization reforms in the Medicare Advantage market.

09/09/2019

OCR Settles First Case in HIPAA Right of Access Initiative

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is announcing its first enforcement action and settlement in its Right of Access Initiative.

08/15/2019

Fall Advocacy Preview

The OSMA expects that several years of work with a coalition to bring mental health insurance coverage parity to Ohioans will culminate this fall with the introduction of legislation.

08/15/2019

New OSMA Strategic Plan In Progress

Having reached the end of the current three year strategic plan (2016-2019), the OSMA Council used its summer meeting to engage in future strategic planning. After reviewing accomplishments as well as unfinished tasks in the current plan, the Council set future priority issues for the OSMA...

08/15/2019

Healthier Ohio – 2020 & Beyond

OSMA President, Susan Hubbell, M.D. updated Council at our August meeting on the Healthier Ohio: 2020 & Beyond initiative that was launched at the OSMA Annual Meeting in April.

08/15/2019

The Young Physician Section is Official

The OSMA House of Delegates approved creation of the Young Physician Section (YPS) in 2018 and its organizers developed the governing structure, which the OSMA Council approved in August. The YPS will give younger physicians the opportunity to participate in specific education, networking and leadership opportunities.

08/05/2019

Medical Board Adopts CONFIDENTIAL One-bite Program

Through the combined efforts of the OSMA and other physician-led associations, the confidential one-bite program is now available.

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.

08/01/2019

Ohio Governor Signs Bill Legalizing Hemp & CBD Oil

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed Senate Bill 57 into law, legalizing the cultivation of industrial hemp and the manufacturing and sales of cannabidiol (CBD) products in the state. This new law tasks the Ohio Department of Agriculture with the creation of a licensure system for hemp farming, and state officials hope to get this program up and running by next year so that farmers can grow hemp by spring. But what does this mean for Ohio Physicians?

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.

01/10/2019

OSMA Insurance Agency Announces 2019 Average Rate Renewal of only 2.9 Percent

Physician practices participating in the OSMA’s Health Benefits Plan (HBP) will see another year of rate increases averaging single digits. Renewal increases for 2019 will average 2.9%. This increase, along with plan increases over the past three years, show a four-year average of 4.5%. Significantly below the national averages.

01/08/2019

Ohio’s Lame Duck Legislative Session 2018 – What Happened & What You Should Know

The final months of 2018 were a whirlwind beyond the usual frenzied legislative activity of “lame duck” – with Ohio’s legislators staying in session until just days before the Christmas holiday, and returning for more action just days after. This scenario is extremely rare and hasn’t happened in Ohio’s legislature to this extent in decades.

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.

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.

09/10/2019

OSMA Continues to Advocate For Prior Authorization Reform

The OSMA joined with the AMA and numerous other national and state medical organizations in calling for major prior authorization reforms in the Medicare Advantage market.

08/15/2019

Fall Advocacy Preview

The OSMA expects that several years of work with a coalition to bring mental health insurance coverage parity to Ohioans will culminate this fall with the introduction of legislation.

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.

01/08/2019

Ohio’s Lame Duck Legislative Session 2018 – What Happened & What You Should Know

The final months of 2018 were a whirlwind beyond the usual frenzied legislative activity of “lame duck” – with Ohio’s legislators staying in session until just days before the Christmas holiday, and returning for more action just days after. This scenario is extremely rare and hasn’t happened in Ohio’s legislature to this extent in decades.

09/12/2019

Networking Reception & Policy Forum

Plan to attend a FREE event near you this September or October. Please RSVP to attend...

09/10/2019

Electronic Health Records Continue to Lead to Medical Malpractice Suits

EHR-related medical malpractice suits are becoming more common. For eight years, claims in which the use of EHRs contributed to patient injury have been on the rise.

09/10/2019

OSMA Continues to Advocate For Prior Authorization Reform

The OSMA joined with the AMA and numerous other national and state medical organizations in calling for major prior authorization reforms in the Medicare Advantage market.

09/09/2019

OCR Settles First Case in HIPAA Right of Access Initiative

The Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is announcing its first enforcement action and settlement in its Right of Access Initiative.

08/15/2019

New OSMA Strategic Plan In Progress

Having reached the end of the current three year strategic plan (2016-2019), the OSMA Council used its summer meeting to engage in future strategic planning. After reviewing accomplishments as well as unfinished tasks in the current plan, the Council set future priority issues for the OSMA...

08/15/2019

Healthier Ohio – 2020 & Beyond

OSMA President, Susan Hubbell, M.D. updated Council at our August meeting on the Healthier Ohio: 2020 & Beyond initiative that was launched at the OSMA Annual Meeting in April.

08/15/2019

The Young Physician Section is Official

The OSMA House of Delegates approved creation of the Young Physician Section (YPS) in 2018 and its organizers developed the governing structure, which the OSMA Council approved in August. The YPS will give younger physicians the opportunity to participate in specific education, networking and leadership opportunities.

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.

01/10/2019

OSMA Insurance Agency Announces 2019 Average Rate Renewal of only 2.9 Percent

Physician practices participating in the OSMA’s Health Benefits Plan (HBP) will see another year of rate increases averaging single digits. Renewal increases for 2019 will average 2.9%. This increase, along with plan increases over the past three years, show a four-year average of 4.5%. Significantly below the national averages.

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.