OSHGAC / Lobbyist Report

Ohio Speech and Hearing Governmental Affairs Coalition  
What is OSHGAC?  (Click here)

 Legislative Activities Report 

May 2008

             Public policymakers have been very busy in this Spring.  The Legislature is working long hours in an attempt to finish up important business before its summer recess begins in late May or early June.  Between now and then, they intend to introduce and pass a budget corrections bill aimed at filling the $700 million gap in Ohio’s operating budget.  In that same bill, the Legislature intends to provide for capital budget funding for bondable projects throughout the state, as well as the legislative framework for the $1.57 billion economic stimulus package.  OSHGAC will be watching that entire process very closely for any budget changes that may be proposed which could impact funding for speech and hearing services.

             Looking beyond the current budget corrections efforts, preparations are already underway planning the fiscal year 2010-2011 budget process.  In mid-April, the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) sent out its “budget guidance” document to all state agencies.  In that document, agencies were told to craft their general revenue spending plans for the FY 2010 – 2011 biennium based on 90% of their FY 2009 appropriations for the first year and 95% for the second year. In addition, OBM clarified that the base year funding is the amount of original appropriations minus the amount of reductions OBM imposed to address an estimated $733 million budget imbalance in the current biennium. 

           Also in the Legislature, the Senate Education Committee voted out SB 57, the special education voucher bill on May 6, 2008.  Before voting on the bill, they adopted a substitute version with four main changes. The new language would: mirror the funding stream for the program to the Cleveland voucher program, for which reimbursements flow through guardians and parents; provide the Department of Education with access to the Statewide Student Identification Numbers of participants; allow ODE to adjust formula Average Daily Membership counts for districts based on program participation; and prohibit students who qualify for the autism scholarship program from accessing the special education vouchers. The new bill also sets the dates for the program from 2010-2015.

           SB 57 may now go the full Senate for a vote.  Even if the bill makes it through the entire House process, Governor Strickland has already indicated that he will veto SB 57.  You will recall that Governor Strickland line item vetoed similar language in the biennial budget bill, HB 66, in 2007.

           A new Medicaid issue has recently come to light.  We have learned that at least one managed care plan is misinterpreting the 30 visit limit rule (OAC 5101:3-34-01.2) and applying the limit retroactively to visits which occurred prior to the January 1, 2008 effective date.  ODJFS has been made aware of the problem and is working to inform the managed care plan of its misapplication of the rule.  If you are experiencing a similar problem with any managed care plans in your service area, please bring the issue to GAC’s attention.

            Also on the Medicaid front, another managed care provider has announced that it is pulling out of part of its Ohio business.  Buckeye Community Health Plans has announced that it will no longer provide services to the aged, blind and disabled (ABD) population in its territory in northwest Ohio.  The change is effective June 30, 2008.  Those ABD patients will be reenrolled with either Anthem or CareSource.

            One bit of good news from Medicaid:  the Children’s Buy-In (CBI) Program is now accepting applications. The CBI program allows for buy-in coverage for children up to age 19 with special needs or high cost private insurance premiums.  In order to qualify the child’s family income must not exceed 300% of poverty.  This may provide a viable new option for children you want to serve who otherwise do not qualify for Medicaid, but whose families also cannot afford private insurance.  You can find more information at http://jfs.ohio.gov/OHP/cbi/index.stm.

             Finally, the ODE caseload workgroup had its first meeting on April 9, 2008.  GAC representatives Barb Conrad and Carrie Spangler attended that meeting.   Most of that meeting was spent setting the framework for the group’s efforts.  ODE has hired an outside consultant to lead the group through the process.  The next steps involve meeting in focus groups and attending a “future search” conference on May 7^th and 8^th.  The end result of these meetings will be a set of recommendations sent to the State Board of Education in early fall 2008.

  For legislation that may be of interest to Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists:  
(Click here)
LEGISLATION