Ohio Health Policy News

DeWine announces plan for next phase of COVID-19 vaccine distribution

Gov. Mike DeWine on Thursday announced plans to begin distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to more groups of Ohioans later this month, starting with those ages 80 and older (Souce: “DeWine announces new distribution steps,” Youngstown Vindicator, Jan. 8).

In addition to Ohioans who are older, school employees also will be able to get the vaccine.

Vaccinations continue now in nursing homes and among front-line healthcare workers. This includes healthcare workers and personnel routinely involved in the care of COVID-19 patients, emergency medical responders and those who live and/or work in congregate settings, such as nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.

DeWine said the age 80 and older group includes up to 450,000 residents, and the vaccinations may come from several sources, including physicians, hospitals and local health departments. He said he expects to have roughly 100,000 doses for elderly Ohioans over the first several weeks.

On Friday, the Ohio Department of Health reported 9,535 additional positive tests for COVID-19 in Ohio, bringing the statewide total since the start of the pandemic to 762,603. Death reports from COVID-19 rose by 82 on Friday, bringing the total to 9,544 deaths of Ohioans with COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.

Ohio expects first delivery of COVID-19 vaccines next week

Ohio officials are busy finalizing plans for the arrival of the first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines, which are expected on Dec. 15 (Source: “As early as Tuesday, the coronavirus vaccine arrives. Who's first in line, and what we know about who's next,” Cincinnati Enquirer, Dec. 10).

For at least the first three weeks of availability, the Ohio Department of Health has directed that the only people to be vaccinated are:

• Hospital caregivers
• Residents and staff at nursing homes
• Residents and staff at assisted-living homes
• Residents and staff pf psychiatric facilities
• Residents and staff at Ohio veterans homes
• Residents and staff of group homes or centers and EMS responders

It is not clear yet the order of vaccination after Phase 1A. States are waiting for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is developing the guidance, to recommend who is next. But the Ohio Department of Health has a draft plan that lists priorities. 

On Friday, the Ohio Department of Health reported 10,359 new COVID-19 infections and 128 more deaths.

The 128 deaths, the fourth-highest daily total, boosted December's virus death toll to 997, surpassing April to become the second-deadliest month of the pandemic. December deaths are on pace to well exceed the record 1,180 fatalities in May.

Latest HPIO addiction policy scorecard focuses on children, youth, families

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio has released the fourth in a series of scorecards analyzing Ohio's policy response to the addiction crisis and outlining areas where the state could be more effective.

The report, "Ohio Addiction Policy Scorecard: Children, Youth and Families," provides policymakers and other stakeholders with the information needed to take stock of Ohio's policy response to the crisis by reviewing state-level policy changes enacted in Ohio from 2013 to 2019. 

In conjunction with the release of the latest scorecard, HPIO has created a two-page fact sheet featuring excerpts from the report titled “Changes on the Horizon: Hopeful Trends.” A second fact sheet outlines three federal child welfare laws that were enacted or amended from 2016 to 2018.

DeWine discusses plan to begin distributing COVID-19 vaccines

Gov. DeWine announced Friday that Ohio will receive confirmed shipments of 299,475 doses of vaccine beginning around Dec. 15, with another 359,000 doses tentatively scheduled to arrive days later (Source: “DeWine outlines distribution of hundreds of thousands of doses of COVID-19 vaccines,” Columbus Dispatch, Dec. 4).

The priority groups for the first vaccinations are health care workers who tend to virus patients, emergency medical first responders and residents and staff of nursing homes and assisted-living facilities. Also in the first phase for vaccinations are those in state psychiatric hospitals and veterans homes and people with intellectual disabilities and mental illness, and the staff who care for them, in group homes, DeWine said.

DeWine conducted a news conference on Friday afternoon to provide more details on the state's plans to inoculate Ohioans against coronavirus, which now has infected 456,963 people and killed 6,882.

Friday’s high numbers extend a surge of spreading infections that saw monthly cases more than triple in November while the number of deaths also continues to accelerate. Daily hospitalizations totaled 392 on Friday to reduce the number of virus inpatients by 320 to 5,092, a level that still concerns health officials worried about ICU beds and staffing.

The seven-day average positive rate on virus tests increased to 15.5%.

Deadline for Ohio Medicaid managed care bids is today

 

Bids are due today for insurance companies that want to be a part of Ohio Medicaid’s overhaul  (Source: “Insurance company bids due today for Ohio Medicaid overhaul,” Dayton Daily News, Nov. 20).

The state is overhauling how the health insurance program for people who are disabled or have low incomes operates and picking new insurance companies as contractors to manage those insurance claims. By rebidding the contracts, the state can update the conditions for getting and spending Medicaid dollars and can re-select which insurers it trusts to meet its goals.

In 2019, Ohio paid about $17 billion to Medicaid HMOs and about 90% of the 3 million Ohioans who are covered by Medicaid get an insurance plan managed by an insurance company. These insurers get a payment per member per month and use that money to pay for their member’s health care.

Ohio sets another COVID-19 record on Friday, 8,071 positive cases

Ohio's worsening COVID-19 pandemic continued on Friday with a record 8,071 new cases (Source: “New daily Ohio COVID-19 cases jump nearly 1,000 to a record 8,071,” Columbus Dispatch, Nov. 13).

The prior record of 7,101 new infections came on Thursday as cases have increased from an average of about 1,000 per day in mid-September to more than 4,200 per day now. The state also reported an above-average 298 hospitalizations and 42 more deaths, nearly twice the average, from the deadly virus on Friday.

The positive rate on tests remained high at 12.9% on the latest available day (Wednesday). The seven-day average positivity rate rose to 11.2%, a figure not seen since early in the outbreak. That number stood at 2.7% about seven weeks ago.

HPIO has updated analysis it conducted for its August COVID-19 data brief comparing COVID-19 deaths in Ohio to the leading causes of death in 2018 (the most-recent year for which complete data is available). As show in the graphic below, COVID-19 deaths now outpace causes such as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, influenza/pneumonia and drug overdose deaths for all of 2018.

COVID cases, hospitalizations continue to soar in Ohio; DeWine calls for local ‘defense teams’

Ohio once again shattered its daily record for new coronavirus cases on Friday as 3,845 more residents tested positive (Source: “Ohio sets more COVID records with 3,845 new cases and hospitalizations at all-time high,” Columbus Dispatch, Oct. 30).

Friday's new cases were 7.1% higher than the previous record of 3,590 new cases set Thursday, state Department of Health data shows. It marks the second time Ohio's newly reported cases have exceeded 3,000 a day and the 15th day above 2,000 cases. A total 1,629 Ohioans remained hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Friday, which is the highest number since the pandemic began in March. The total hospitalized on Friday represents a 6.1% increase, data shows.

Given the soaring number of cases and hospitalization, Gov. DeWine on Thursday called on leaders of each county and community to create COVID-19 “defense teams” (Source: “Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine calls for local coronavirus ‘defense teams,’ acknowledges there’s no solid data on cause of recent alarming spread,” Cleveland.com, Oct. 29).

DeWine said defense teams would be made up of county commissioners, mayors, local hospital leaders, the local health commissioners and business, religious and other leaders. The teams would look at COVID-19 data, inventory their assets and act.

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.