OACHC'S public policy and advocacy efforts are dedicated to promoting the value of Community Health Centers to Ohio's elected and appointed officials, both on the state and federal levels. OACHC staff work closely with Ohio's Congressional Delegation, Ohio's General Assembly, the Governor's Administration and other government agencies, to provide input on legislation and policies of interest of interest to Ohio's Community Health Centers. 

For legislative or public policy information, contact Julie DiRossi-King, Chief Operating Officer jdirossi@ohiochc.org 

STATE POLICY PRIORITIES

The overarching goal for OACHC state advocacy initiatives is to ensure that Ohio’s Community Health Centers have the resources to provide care to medically underserved Ohioans, regardless of income or insurance status.

Quality Coverage and Care for All Ohioans

Expanded Medicaid eligibility levels are directly associated with the enhanced ability of safety net providers like Community Health Centers to invest in capacity, increase access, and better meet the needs of patients and our communities. Thanks to a greater number of patients accessing coverage, Community Health Centers have hired more staff, established more locations and partnerships to access care, and helped more Ohioans find care for chronic conditions at the right time, and in the appropriate primary care setting. 

Support and Growth for Front Line Providers

Ohio’s Community Health Centers, along with the Administration and the General Assembly, created the FQHC Primary Care Workforce Initiative (PCWI). This line item, housed in the Department of Health, is the only primary care workforce strategy in the state. The funds provide a stipend to the Community Health Centers who bring on primary care students (medical and dental students, APRNs, PAs, and behavioral health) for a rotation and expose them to advanced Primary Care Medical Homes in practice, providing a standardized, high-quality educational experience. Learn more about OPCWI here.

Support Value Over Volume

As Ohio elevates care coordination and increasing quality outcomes through value-based payments, the Comprehensive Primary Care (CPC) Program is vital for our success. CPC is a patient-centered medical home program, which is a team-based care delivery model led by primary care practices that comprehensively manage patients’ health needs to improve population health outcomes while lowering costs. 

340B

The purpose of the 340B program is to provide discounted drug prices to enable certain safety net entities, including FQHCs, “to stretch scarce federal resources as far as possible, reaching more eligible patients and providing more comprehensive services." A federal requirement of participation in the 340B program is to reinvest the savings from the discounted drug prices, back into the community. Some examples of this include passing along the discounts to uninsured and underinsured patients, and expanding capacity and/or services to care for more Ohioans. A prime example in our state today would be investing the savings from 340B into Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) to combat opioid addiction. 

FQHC/PPS RULE PACKAGE 

Visit here for the “Chapter 5160-28 Cost-Based Clinic (FQHC, OHF, RHC) Services” – more commonly known as the FQHC/PPS Rule Package in the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC).