Ohio Health Policy News

Ohio releases draft plan for distribution of future COVID-19 vaccination

Ohio plans to roll out a coronavirus vaccine in four phases and give the first doses to high-risk health care workers and first responders, according to a draft plan released by the state’s health department (Source: “Ohio’s four-phase plan to distribute coronavirus vaccine prioritizes health care workers and first responders,” Cleveland.com, Oct. 21).

The first phase of the plan also prioritizes patients in long-term care facilities and those at significantly higher risk for developing severe COVID-19 complications due to preexisting conditions, according to the draft plan dated Oct. 16. The state submitted the 61-page plan to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for approval.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has yet to issue emergency use authorization for any COVID-19 vaccine candidate, although public health experts say one could be approved later this fall. But the CDC has cautioned a vaccine could be in short supply after it’s approved because it takes time to manufacture, ship and distribute enough doses.

The second phase of the draft plan calls for the vaccine to be given to health care workers and other essential services workers who are at high risk for exposure. It also includes teachers and school staff members; older Ohioans; and residents with preexisting conditions. People of color, who have been disproportionately harmed by the virus, could also be prioritized during phase two.

The third phase includes young adults; children; and workers in unspecified industries that are critical to the functioning of society. The fourth phase allows all Ohioans to be vaccinated. The plan does not include a timeline for each phase.

HPIO online forum to explore health policy implications of the November election

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio is hosting an online forum Nov. 17 on “Politics, perceptions and the pandemic."

In November, voters will elect a president and members of the Ohio General Assembly. What do the results of those elections mean for the next steps in the pandemic response? The forum will explore what's on the horizon as a result of the 2020 election and the likely impacts on health value, equity and the future of public health.

Keynote speaker at the forum will be Dr. Melinda Buntin, Mike Curb Professor and Chair, Department of Health Policy, Vanderbilt School of Medicine.

Ohio overdose deaths in May highest in at least 14 years, ODH reports

Drug overdoses killed more Ohioans in May than in any month in at least 14 years, a potential side effect of the coronavirus pandemic that leaders fear could flare up again before things get back to normal (Source: “Amid pandemic, May was Ohio's deadliest overdose month in more than a decade,” Columbus Dispatch, Oct. 1). 

At least 532 Ohioans died of an overdose in May, preliminary statistics from the Ohio Department of Health's mortality database shows. By comparison, 381 Ohioans died of an unintentional drug overdose in April, according to state data.

The May data is still incomplete; county coroners have six months to investigate, meaning overdose deaths could still climb for that month, according to ODH.

Gov. Mike DeWine said his administration plans to announce a strategy to get money into communities struggling with the opioid epidemic. Incidents of drug abuse and mental health issues have increased during the pandemic, causing them to become a reoccurring topic in the governor's bi-weekly COVID-19 briefings.

DeWine announces plan for Medicaid managed care rebidding

Gov. Mike DeWine’s administration has unveiled plans for a long-awaited overhaul of the $28 billion Medicaid health-care program covering more than 3 million Ohioans (Source: “Wellness, quality of health care for poor Ohioans centerpiece of new Medicaid approach,” Columbus Dispatch, Oct. 1).

The Ohio Department of Medicaid seeks to update its managed-care setup with a focus on population health, meeting the needs of children with complex needs and reducing administrative hurdles for patients and health-care providers.

The state invited privately operated managed-care organizations to submit applications for new managed care contracts by Nov. 20. Contracts will be awarded early next year with a new system in place in 2022. About 90% of Medicaid beneficiaries are enrolled in managed care.

Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran said the plan is largely based on input solicited by the department from beneficiaries, physicians, hospitals and other health care providers, along with managed-care plans over the last 18 months.

The director referred to concerns with the current system which has forced some families with children in need of intensive and costly services, either in their home or residential settings, to relinquish custody so they qualify for Medicaid because they can’t afford the cost on their own.

Under the plan, Ohio Rise, so-called multi-system youth would qualify for modified eligibility requirements, allowing them to receive assistance while remaining in their family’s custody.

Indoor nursing home visits to resume Oct. 12, DeWine announces

Indoor visitations at nursing homes and long-term care facilities will be permitted to restart across the state as soon as Oct. 12, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Thursday (Source: “Indoor nursing home visits can restart on Oct. 12, DeWine says,” Crains Cleveland Business, Sept. 25).

Outdoor visitation went into effect, after months of a complete shutdown, for assisted living in early June and for nursing homes in July. "We know it is going to get cold and that outdoor visitation will no longer work," DeWine said.

Ohio Department of Aging director Ursel McElroy said facilities will be required to have access to adequate testing, staffing and personal protection equipment before allowing indoor visitation. All facilities, she said, must report to the state coronavirus data that will be published on a dashboard. According to the new guidelines, visitors will be screened and required to wear a mask during the visit. Only two visitors are permitted at one time, with visits limited to 30 minutes.

HPIO to host online forum on adverse childhood experiences

HPIO is hosting an online forum Sept. 29 titled “Improving child health and wellbeing: Creating opportunities for all Ohio children to thrive.”

As the 2019 Health Value Dashboard illustrates, too many Ohioans face obstacles to health, which are often rooted in childhood conditions and experiences. This forum will discuss the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on Ohioans including recent effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Attendees will learn about the biological impact of ACEs and trauma; best practices for screening, treatment and prevention; and considerations for Ohio's response to ACEs in the midst of the pandemic. For more information, or to register, visit the event page on HPIO’s website.

Number of ‘red counties’ drops in state’s latest COVID-19 advisory map

Just six Ohio counties are red or Level 3 in the state’s latest coronavirus advisory map, the lowest number in the nine weeks Ohio’s been utilizing the color-coded system (Source: “Just six of 88 counties are red on latest Ohio coronavirus advisory map,” Cleveland.com, Aug. 27).

Gov. Mike DeWine unveiled the latest map on Thursday showing the following six counties in red: Lorain, Erie, Lucas, Mercer, Preble and Montgomery.

The county color coding in is based on numerous factors, including:  50 or more cases per 100,000 residents over a two week period, an increase in new cases for five days, cases in non-congregate living areas, emergency room visits, doctor visits, hospitalizations, intensive-care unit occupancy.

“The big story this week is we have 76 counties at the same level as they were last week, which is the smallest movement between levels that we have experienced so far,” DeWine said.

COVID-19 rates up in rural Ohio counties, down in urban counties

The rate of COVID-19 cases in some rural Ohio counties has begun to increase, while some urban centers are seeing improvement, state data shows (Source: “Data indicates COVID growing in rural counties, slowing in urban areas,” Springfield News Sun, Aug. 20, 2020).

The new data was released Thursday as part of a weekly update by the Ohio Department of Health. The counties each receive an advisory on a scale of 1-4 based on seven indicators of how prolific coronavirus is in a community. The full data for each county can be found at www.coronavirus.ohio.gov.

Gov. Mike DeWine attributed the improvements in more urban counties to longer adoption of masking in public.

“What has happened is we’ve seen the urban areas with a bigger percentage of people wearing mask for a longer period of time and we’re seeing those numbers go down. Unfortunately we’re seeing those numbers go up in our rural areas,” DeWine said during his afternoon press conference.

On Friday afternoon, the Ohio Department of Health reported 113,046 cases of COVID-19 (an increase of 6,489 since last Friday), 12,719 hospitalizations (an increase of 591 this week) and 3,955 deaths (171 more reported since last Friday). The increase in cases and hospitalizations was smaller than last week, while the number of COVID-19 deaths is up slightly.

HPIO brief outlines action steps to address health impact of racism, DeWine releases Blueprint to address disparities

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio has released a new data brief, "Connections between Racism and Health: Taking Action to Eliminate Racism and Advance Equity" and an accompanying resource page to support state and local efforts to eliminate racism. 

As state and local leaders commit to address racism as a public health crisis, this publication outlines action steps that can be taken to eliminate racism and advance equity. This brief provides:

• A definition and explanation of racism
• A brief summary of research on the connections between racism and health
• Action steps that individuals, groups, public and private organizations and state and local government leaders can take to eliminate racism and advance equity

On Thursday, Gov. Mike DeWine announced the release of the COVID-19 Ohio Minority Strike Force Blueprint (Source: “DeWine: ‘Racism is a public health crisis',” Dayton Daily News, Aug. 13, 2020), a document that includes 34 recommendations to address racism and promote long-term health equity in Ohio.

“It is wrong that in Ohio today, the overall life expectancy of African American Ohioans is four years shorter than white Ohioans. It’s wrong that African American Ohioans have a higher rate of heart disease, higher rates of hypertension and diabetes. It’s wrong that our African American citizens are two and half times more likely to live in poverty, and African American children in Ohio are three times more likely to live in poverty than their white brothers and sisters,” DeWine said during his press conference.

DeWine also announced the creation of the Governor’s Equity Advisory Board and released Ohio’s Executive Response: A Plan of Action to Advance Equity. The plan includes 10 commitments from the DeWine administration designed to begin addressing the recommendation’s in the Strikeforce’s blueprint.

Eight more counties moved to red on COVID alert system; DeWine orders statewide mask mandate

Eight Ohio counties moved to “red” status on the latest update to the state’s color-coded COVID-19 alert system, with Allen County marked as approaching Level 4, or “purple” status (Source: “Eight Ohio counties move to ‘red’ coronavirus alert status; Allen County approaching ‘purple’ status,” Cleveland.com, June 23).

That makes 23 counties out of 88 that fall into level 3 status, the second-highest risk alert category. Level 4 status is when there is severe exposure and spread in a community. Northwestern Allen County, which contains Lima, has reported 110 coronavirus in the past 14 days -- 23% of the total cases the county has experienced.

Also this week, Gov. Mike DeWine announced that he is issuing a statewide face mask mandate (Source: “Coronavirus in Ohio: Gov. Mike DeWine issues statewide mask order,” Columbus Dispatch, July 22).

Effective on Thursday, masks are required for people in indoor public places, in outdoor places where social-distancing can’t be maintained, and using public transportation, DeWine said. Exceptions will be made for those who are under the age of 10, have a medical condition, are playing sports, are eating or drinking, or who are speaking at a religious service.

On Friday afternoon, the Ohio Department of Health reported 81,746 cases of COVID-19 (an increase of 1,560 from Thursday), 10,072 hospitalizations (an increase of 104) and 3,297 deaths (41 more reported in past 24 hours).