Disability Rights Ohio Examines Policing and Racial Justice for People with Disabilities

Our partners at Disability Rights Ohio (DRO) are dedicated to ensuring that all Ohioans are full and equal members of society. The heart of their mission is to create communities where all people are equal participants. As a civil rights organization, they strive for the dismantling of racist, ableist, sexist, homophobic, ageist, and transphobic systems of oppression. These systems have led to mass incarceration, stealing of lands, segregation, institutionalization, eugenics, police brutality, red-lining, income inequality, voter suppression, and countless other discriminatory policies that have oppressed and disenfranchised individuals, specifically Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).

DRO recently released a policy paper discussing how police use-of-force has disproportionately impacted people with disabilities, often leading to death, and how law enforcement in schools targets students with disabilities, leading to exclusion from their schools and referral to the juvenile justice system.

“In order to build more inclusive, safer, and truly integrated communities, we must restructure budgets to increase historically underfunded community supports, including mental health and other disability services as well as reinvesting in community-based services that support individuals with disabilities.”

Disability Rights Ohio recommends policymakers reinvest in the community in the following ways:

• Making Meaningful Reinvestments into Community Services

• Changing Crisis Response

• Eliminating School Resource Officers

Read DRO’s full paper: Policing and Racial Injustice: A Disability Rights Perspective

AOF Joins Ohio Service Organizations and Concerned Individuals in New Home-and Community-based Services Coalition

Forty-nine organizations and four individuals have joined together to form the Ohio Home-and Community-Based Services Coalition (OHCBSC). The coalition includes members from across the HCBS system, including providers and non-profits, and is led by well-known advocates and AOF members Disability Rights Ohio, Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging, Ohio Statewide Independent Living Council, Ohio Council for Home Care and Hospice as well as the Ohio Developmental Disabilities Council. The OHCBSC has launched an informational website at www.ohiohcbscoalition.org.

“OHCBSC strives to ensure that home- and community-based services and supports are available to any Ohioan,” said Kerstin Sjoberg, Disability Rights Ohio executive director. “We maintain that all Ohioans have the right to choose where they receive their care, and it is the state's responsibility to ensure that OHCBSC has adequate to make an individual's choice a reality.”

Four areas of focus have been identified and prioritized to strengthen HCBS in Ohio. They include:

• Expanding transitions from long-term care facilities to the community;

• Identifying those most at-risk of institutionalization;

• Preventing a reduction in individual services; and

• Supporting and bolstering provider and workforce capacity.

AOF looks forward to supporting and amplifying OHCBSC policy priorities and initiatives in the next General Assembly session.

AOF and Partners Testify for Increased Broadband Access

Earlier this week AOF and a number of partner organizations testified on behalf of House Bill 13 in the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee. House Bill 13 creates the Ohio Residential Broadband Expansion Grant Program to provide $20 million in grant money for internet service providers to build critical infrastructure needed to connect Ohioans who do not have access to broadband.

Today more than 300,000 households in Ohio representing close to 1 million Ohioans lack access to high-speed internet. In some parts of our state, communities have little or no access to the internet because of gaps in or complete absence of digital infrastructure.

Though broadband access was rising in importance before the pandemic, the Coronavirus has turned the internet into a critical lifeline. Over the last eight months, the internet has become the primary way many Ohioans work, go to school, access healthcare, search for employment, seek assistance and connect with friends and family.

Ohio communities and families with limited or no access to high-speed internet now clearly suffer a disadvantage in the classroom and in the workplace, as well as a competitive disadvantage in today’s technology-infused economy. In today’s socially and physically distanced world, the lack of connectivity results in limited opportunities and can impact a person’s wellbeing and quality of life.

Sub HB 13 and the proposed Ohio Residential Broadband Expansion Grant Program is one of the first steps in Ohio’s Broadband Strategy developed by InnovateOhio. We acknowledge where this bill started and are pleased that additional funding is now included to make the grant program $20 million. Though the need is much larger and many more resources are required to connect all Ohioans, this bill will connect families to this vital resource.

In addition, AOF would like to emphasize the overall vision of Ohio’s Broadband Strategy is to bring high speed internet access to every Ohioan by focusing on improving access for two groups: the unserved and underserved. While Sub HB 13 would expand broadband infrastructure, that alone does not guarantee high-speed internet access if the cost of access is unaffordable or existing infrastructure is severely neglected and outdated.

For many Ohioans, the main barrier to broadband access is not geography, but cost. In the city of Cleveland, 27% of households had no internet access of any kind (including smartphones) according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Similar large shares of the populations in Toledo, Dayton, Lorain, and Youngstown are unconnected and under-connected. The monthly bill for home high speed internet connection in most Ohio communities is now at least $60 to $70 per month—an amount too great for many families already struggling to pay rent and keep food on the table.

Though addressing affordability is not the intent of Sub. HB 13, we urge the committee to consider ways to help low-income families from around the state afford high-speed internet access and incentivize internet service providers to update and improve their networks in low-income areas to increase opportunities for both families and businesses.

Read our full comments HERE

AOF Testifies In Support of HB 482 and SB 263

Earlier this week AOF submitted testimony in support of companion bills House Bill 482 and Senate Bill 263 in House Health and Senate Finance Committees respectively.

HB 482 and SB 263 protect the intent of the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program by ensuring savings achieved by the program are directed to support or expand primary care services and affordable pharmaceuticals for uninsured or underinsured Ohioans.

Safety net providers including but not limited to FQHCs and FQHC look-alikes, Ryan White Clinics, Hemophiliac Treatment Centers, Medicare/Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospitals and Children’s Hospitals play a vital role in helping low-income uninsured and underinsured patients access care in a cost-effective setting and significantly improve health outcomes for Ohioans and families across the state.

Under the 340B program, safety net providers are mandated to pass every penny of savings from reduced prices into activities that expand access to care for medically-underserved patients. For example, some Health Centers use 340B savings to expand beyond medical care and provide dental, pharmacy, substance abuse disorder treatment services (MAT), or to further extend hours of operation.

By prohibiting private insurers and Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) from capturing those savings in contract provisions as proposed in HB 482 and SB 263, 340B organizations retain the ability to reinvest savings to support or expand primary care services that increases patients’ access to the care they need, when they need it and in the appropriate, most cost-effective setting, thus reducing costs elsewhere in the healthcare system.

We urge the legislature to support HB 482, SB 263 and all policies that promote equitable access to quality healthcare for all Ohioans.

Read our full comments HERE

Promising Coronavirus Vaccine On Horizon, Could Be Some Time Before Distribution

As COVID-19 cases surge in Ohio and across the United States, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer offered some hope earlier this week by announcing that early data suggests its COVID-19 vaccine candidate could be 90% effective. Initially, medical experts predicted a coronavirus vaccine could be 50-60% effective. Comparatively, flu shots are believed to be 40-60% effective.

Although Pfizer said it could seek emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration later this month, its initial supply will be limited. It will be some time, possibly four to six months, before the vaccine is widely available and people should continue following safety protocols until then.

Pfizer’s vaccine requires two doses, and if approved, the company has said it hopes to produce enough doses to vaccinate 15 to 20 million people by the end of the year.

Ohio Medicaid Releases OhioRISE RFA for Youth With Complex Behavioral Health Needs

On October 28, 2020, ODM released a request for applications (RFA) to solicit responses from managed care organizations (MCOs) interested in serving as their OhioRISE (Resilience through Integrated Systems and Excellence), specialized managed care organization for eligible Medicaid youth with complex behavioral health and multi-system needs. ODM seeks to contract for comprehensive and highly coordinated behavioral health services provided by a specialized MCO experienced in and dedicated to serving the unique needs of this population.

Organizations have until December 16, 2020 to place their bids and after extensive review and scoring, awards are estimated to be made on February 19, 2021.

OhioRISE aims to shift the system of care and keep more kids and families together by creating new access to in-home and community-based services for children with the most complex behavioral health challenges. The OhioRISE program’s child and family-centric delivery system recognizes the need to specialize services and support for this unique group of children and families. Once selected, the OhioRISE plan will partner with ODM, sister state agencies, providers, families, and other stakeholders to develop and implement new and enhanced services, including those listed below. OhioRISE will also feature a new 1915(c) Medicaid waiver that will drive toward improving cross-system outcomes for its enrollees. OhioRISE will feature intensive care coordination and both new and enhanced behavioral health services targeted toward this population and will offer a new Medicaid waiver program that will help families prevent custody relinquishment.

OhioRISE Eligibility

• Enrolled in Ohio Medicaid – either managed care or fee for service

• Under the age of 21

• Meet a functional needs threshold for behavioral health care, as identified by the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) tool

Governor DeWine Announces CARES Act Funding to Support Ohioans and Nonprofits Impacted by COVID-19

On Friday October 23rd, Governor DeWine announced $426 million in federal CARES Act dollar awards to small businesses, hospitals and other organizations affected by the pandemic. These allocations were approved earlier this week by the State Controlling Board.

• $125 million to provide grants to small businesses with no more than 25 employees

• $50 million to 47 Community Action Agencies to provide rent, mortgage, and water and/or sewer assistance to Ohioans in need. This assistance will help Ohioans pay outstanding balances back to April 1, 2020

  • Ohio households behind on their bills with an annual income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines will be eligible for assistance. For a family of four, that is an annual income up to $52,400. Starting November 2, 2020, Ohioans will be able to apply for assistance through their local Community Action Agency

• $37.5 million for the Bar and Restaurant Assistance Fund

• $62 million for rural and critical access hospitals as the response continues for the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding may be applied to additional costs associated with the ongoing pandemic, including various safety measures, and the purchase of critical PPE for first responders

• $100 million for higher education. This funding will support critical COVID-19-related services provided at Ohio’s universities and colleges, including expanding testing for students, faculty, and staff, and mental health services

• $25 million designated for nonprofits

• $20 million to support Ohio’s world-class arts organizations

The state so far has awarded $2.1 billion of its $4.5 billion share from the federal CARES Act, passed by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump earlier this year. Of that money, $1.2 billion went to local governments, $486 million went to nursing homes and other skilled long-term care facilities, $200 million went to colleges and universities and $100 million went to K-12 schools.

The remaining funds are dedicated to continued testing and other measures to control the spread of COVID-19.

Proposed Food Stamp Cutbacks for 700,00 Americans Stopped by Federal Judge

Last weekend a federal judge struck down an already temporarily suspended Trump administration rule that would have reduced food stamp benefits to nearly 700,000 people. The rule was suspended in March due to the pandemic.

In December, the Department of Agriculture formalized a proposal for work requirements for recipients of food stamps, formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, that would have disqualified an estimated 688,000 people from food benefits.

The 700,000 or more unemployed and underemployed workers who were at risk are among the poorest participants in SNAP, with incomes averaging only $187 per month. The Administration claimed that taking away their food assistance would spur them to find jobs.

The judge cited the USDA had been “icily silent” about the number of people who would be affected by its proposed reduction in benefits, adding that one estimate from May 2020 found that SNAP rosters have grown by over 17 percent with over 6 million new enrollees.

Ohio Announces Four-Phase Plan for COVID-19 Vaccine

Though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not authorized any COVID-19 vaccine candidate for use, public health experts say one could be approved later this fall. Given the time it takes to manufacture, ship and distribute millions of doses, the CDC has cautioned the vaccine could be in short supply after it’s approved.

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 and submitted to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for approval. The plan does not offer a timeline for each phase.

Phase 1

• High risk health care workers, first responders

• Older adults living in congregate or overcrowded settings

• People at significantly higher risk due to comorbid or underlying conditions

Phase 2

• Health care workers and other essential services workers who are at high risk for exposure

• 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

• People living in group homes or homeless shelters; people in recovery for substance use; people with physical or mental disabilities; and inmates and staff in prisons, jails and detention centers

Phase 3

• Young adults; children; and workers in unspecified industries that are critical to the functioning of society.

Phase 4

• All Ohioans

Ohio plans to set up a system where the state government will order a supply of the vaccine, then ship it to individual counties and health care providers for distribution. The shipments will be based on a variety of factors, such as the number of coronavirus cases in a county or the number of county residents targeted for vaccination during a phase.

Ohio AAAs at Work: COVID-19 Report

This week, the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging (o4a) released a new report, Ohio AAAs at Work: COVID-19 Report, describing the innovative ways Ohio’s Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) leveraged their expertise and deep community connections to address the growing needs of older adults as the COVID-19  pandemic struck. 

The report highlights the results of recent surveys conducted by the Ohio Association of Area Agencies on Aging in May and August to gain a better understanding of how Ohio’s Area Agencies on Aging have responded to the needs of our communities and what challenges lie ahead as we all grapple with long term effects of the coronavirus.  The survey results show that needs for older adults are growing, and changing, with more emphasis on how to live with the reality of the virus safely, but most importantly in a way that does not disengage older adults from the efforts to move us all forward with the new “normal.”

Some of the findings include the following that were provided through March -July 2020:

• 48,217 people received 4,044,449 home-delivered and shelf stable meals directly in response to COVID-19.

• 445,216 grab and go/carry out meals were provided

• 68,336 requests for assistance were received

• 6371 caregivers received support

Read more from o4a’s report HERE

Federal Public Health Emergency Declaration Renewed Through January 2021

On October 2nd, United States Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex M. Azar II renewed the public health emergency (PHE) declaration set to expire on October 23rd for 90 days.

A number of crucial COVID-19 response policies are tied directly to the emergency period covered by the PHE declaration. The declaration unlocks critical powers that have helped the administration boost food assistance, telehealth, enabled increased Medicaid funding and allowed cash-strapped local health departments to reassign federally funded personnel to respond to the virus.

Among the current policies extended by the renewal:

• Emergency allotments (EA) for SNAP. The PHE allows States to request COVID-19 EA “for households participating in the supplemental nutrition assistance program... to address temporary food needs.” Each State must support its request with sufficient data, as determined through FNS guidance. A household’s EA cannot increase the current monthly household SNAP benefit allotment beyond “the applicable maximum monthly allotment for the household size.”

• The 6.2 percentage point increase in the federal Medicaid matching rate (FMAP). Though this increase is not sufficient to the task of helping states fund their share of Medicaid costs during the current economic downturn, it has provided billions in badly needed fiscal relief to state budgets  If the PHE remains in effect until (at least) January 21, 2021 , the 6.2 percentage point increase will remain available to states through the quarter ending  March 31, 2021.

• The continuous coverage (MOE) requirement. Under Families First, states accepting the 6.2 percentage point FMAP increase may not terminate the Medicaid eligibility of any individual enrolled in Medicaid as of March 18, 2020 or subsequently.  This maintenance of effort (MOE) requirement has proven crucial to protecting beneficiaries from the loss of Medicaid coverage due to red tape in the midst of the pandemic and the economic downturn. With the renewal, the protections remain in place until at least January 31, 2021.

The renewal will take effect Oct. 23, and the emergency declaration is now scheduled to lapse January 21, 2021.

Medicare Open Enrollment Starts October 15

Medicare Open Enrollment runs from October 15 to December 7, 2020. This is the annual opportunity for the close to 1-in-5 Ohioans who are Medicare recipients to evaluate Medicare health and prescription drug plans and make sure they are enrolled in the best plan to meet their needs. This is also the time of year Medicare recipients can change their plans if they find a better fit. Plan selections take effect in January of 2021.

Starting on October 1, you can take an early peek at Medicare health plans and drug plans by using the Medicare Plan Finder.

Need help evaluating which plan is right for you? The Ohio Department of Insurance’s Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIP) provides Medicare beneficiaries with free, objective health insurance information, one-on-one counseling, and educates consumers about Medicare, Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D), Medicare Advantage options, Medicare supplement insurance.

Visit OSHIP’s website to access free virtual counseling, webinars and other resources.

Ohio Medicaid Seeks Proposals For its Managed Care Program

Earlier this week, the Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) released a Request for Applications (RFA) inviting managed care organizations (MCO) to submit proposals for Ohio’s next generation managed care program supporting more than 90 percent of Ohioans receiving health care services through Medicaid.

This re-bid process is a major step towards advancing the state’s Medicaid program which hasn’t undergone a redesign or major structural changes since 2005.

ODM’s goals for the future of managed care include:

• Improve wellness and health outcomes.

• Emphasize a personalized care experience.

• Support providers in better patient care.

• Improve care for children and adults with complex needs.

• Increase program transparency and accountability.

“We envision a managed care program in which ODM and the MCOs work together to tackle some of the toughest health challenges and disparities,” said Maureen Corcoran, director of ODM. “We can achieve health care excellence by introducing a seamless service delivery system that works for members, providers, and community partners. Bidders will be assessed based on their ability and interest in partnering with ODM to achieve the goals of the future program.”

AOF is excited for ODM to begin the process of updating their managed care system. We're hopeful this overhaul results in better care coordination and health outcomes for Ohioans--especially our kids. The Ohio Medicaid program should strive to meet the physical and behavioral health care needs of Ohio’s most vulnerable citizens through high quality, accessible services-but we know the needs of individuals go beyond physical and behavioral health care. We hope this proposal encourages Medicaid managed care to play a more significant role in addressing non-clinical factors, or social determinants of health within communities that significantly impact health outcomes.

The request for application will be posted until Nov. 20. Bidders can learn more about the managed care procurement process and goals by visiting https://managedcare.medicaid.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/manc/

US House Passes Continuing Resolution, Support for Hungry Kids and Families

Earlier this week in advance of the upcoming end of the federal fiscal year, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) that contains provisions intended to ensure kids and families do not go hungry. It includes $8 billion for food and nutrition assistance programs, including extending Pandemic-EBT for a full year.  It also extends flexibility for states to lower administrative requirements on SNAP families.

News reports say that the CR is very likely to pass the Senate and be signed by the President in order to avoid a government shutdown. It passed the House with strong bipartisan support and the deal was pre-negotiated between House Speaker Pelosi and the White House.

However, this CR is not a sufficient substitute for a robust coronavirus response package. While encouraging, we know the Pandemic-EBT extension and SNAP waivers aren't anywhere close to enough to address the rates of child hunger kids across America are facing. The latest data says 7 to 11 million children are experiencing hunger, which is staggering and unprecedented.

AOF and our partners will continue to advocate for a coronavirus relief package that includes at least a 15% boost to SNAP benefits, additional unemployment insurance, and rental/housing assistance to support struggling families.

Column: Housing can help struggling families stay healthy

AOF Co-Chair and Universal Health Care Action Network (UHCAN)-Ohio Executive Director Steve Wagner had a guest column published in the Columbus Dispatch Friday September 18th discussing the importance of housing stability to a person’s overall health-especially during a pandemic.

Though the recently announced eviction moratorium will help families stay in their homes through the end of the year-those months of rent payments do not go away. Instead, families will face enormous bills as they ring in 2021.

Some local governments have used their CARES Act federal funding for rental assistance-to help satisfy rent owed. Our neighboring states have also gotten the message. Illinois and Pennsylvania have dedicated over $100 million each to emergency rental and mortgage assistance so people can stay safe in their homes.

Though Governor DeWine has genuinely acknowledged that people are hurting, he is still sitting on over $1 billion in federal CARES Act relief funds that must be spent by the end of the year. He shows no signs of using some of that money as a needed relief measure to help unemployed Ohioans meet urgent, basic needs like housing, utilities and food.

Steve couldn’t say it any better: “Governor, you are right when you say, “We can do hard things; we can certainly do two things at once.” Ohio can and must do two things at once — invest in testing and stabilize housing for struggling families to contain the spread of the coronavirus. We have families with urgent basic needs, money is sitting on the table and time is running out to spend it.”

Read the full column HERE

New Survey Statistics for Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Released

2019 American Community Survey Statistics for Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Available for States and Local Areas

The U.S. Census Bureau released a detailed look at America’s people, places and economy with statistics on income, poverty, health insurance, employment, families and more than 40 other topics from the American Community Survey (ACS). It is important to note that data for the 2019 ACS was collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and therefore does not reflect the economic changes that began in February 2020.

Ohio ranks 15th nationally for overall poverty at 13.1%. Worst is Mississippi at 19.6%. Best is New Hampshire at 7.3%.

Living in poverty means a household income of no more than $25,926 for a two-parent family of four, or $20,598 for a single parent with two children. The poverty level for a single-person under age 65 is $13,300.

Statewide, Ohio’s child poverty of 18.4% is 15th highest among the states, which range from Mississippi’s 28.1% to New Hampshire’s 7.1%.

Youngstown and Canton rank second and third worst in the country for child poverty, with rates at close to 57%. Cleveland is 11th for child poverty at 46.1%, just ahead of several other once heavily industrial cities along Lake Erie, including No. 12 Erie, Pennsylvania (44.6%), No. 14 Buffalo (43.4%), No. 15 Detroit (43.2%) and No. 20 Lorain (41.7%).

New data also shows the median family income in Ohio increased from $72,028 in 2018 (not adjusted for inflation) to $74,911 in 2019, now ranking 32nd among the states.

Fall Pandemic EBT Benefits Approved to Support Children Learning At Home

Thousands of Ohio children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals at school will soon receive money to buy food through the Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program. This funding was made possible by the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) recently received federal approval to issue a second round of benefits for children enrolled in schools operating fully remotely or with a hybrid remote/in-person model.

ODJFS is working with the Ohio Department of Education and local school districts to identify all eligible children. Children participating in remote learning for at least five consecutive days between the dates Aug. 1 and Sept. 30, 2020, who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals qualify.

As with the benefits issued last spring, the P-EBT benefits will be added to the Ohio Direction cards of families that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (estimated $175/child on September 25th). Individuals may qualify for SNAP if their household’s gross monthly income is at or under 130% of the federal poverty guidelines.

Families that do not receive SNAP benefits will be sent P-EBT cards in early October with the one-time benefit added. No application is needed.

New Report: State of Working Ohio 2020

Policy Matters Ohio released a new annual report this week that takes a look at the current state of the economy and the ways in which working people in Ohio struggle or thrive.

COVID-19 and the recession it caused have remade the Ohio economy so quickly and profoundly that many of the numbers they rely on to give contour to the working lives of people in our state are so out of date as to be meaningless. Taking a new approach, Policy Matters includes new numbers on unemployment and joblessness and summaries of recent research on COVID-19’s impact on everyone from the frontline workers trying to keep safe to the exhausted parents typing away in makeshift home offices trying to keep their jobs. They’ve also included some key indicators from 2019 that help explain why so many are on the brink.

The State of Working Ohio 2020 gives the latest data on the state of the workforce before the crisis, the job losses it has caused, and what is known about workers on the frontlines. It offers solutions to rebuild the Ohio economy stronger than ever and enable all Ohioans to thrive.

Check out the full report and executive summary to learn more!

Ohio Medicaid Asks to Make Expanded Telehealth Coverage Permanent

The Ohio Department of Medicaid (ODM) announced that it has filed permanent rules to continue expanded telehealth options throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The proposed rules expand eligible telehealth services and eligible providers while relaxing barriers for patients accessing telehealth.

In March, in response to the pandemic, the DeWine administration and ODM took swift action to enhance telehealth options for Medicaid members and providers, along with other significant regulatory relief. The rules allowed Medicaid doctors, specialists, therapists and a wide variety of practitioners to use telehealth for many services previously limited to in-person visitations. Medicaid also approved a wider array of telehealth communications modes including email, telephone, and commonly used internet conferencing platforms

Ohio Medicaid received overwhelming support from both patients and providers for the telehealth expansion. Our partners at the Ohio Association of Community Health Centers (OACHC), The Ohio Council of Behavioral Health and Family Service Providers and the Mental Health and Addiction Services Coalition (MHHAC) stressed the benefits of the expansion of telehealth services on our COVID-19 policy response webinar series earlier this year. The expansion of telehealth has not only been successful for primary care providers, but for behavioral health providers, especially in some rural areas where access to behavioral health care is lacking for both adults and kids.

According to ODM, preliminary data shows that telehealth provided a much-needed lifeline to health care services during the initial months of the COVID-19 state of emergency—particularly for behavioral health services. Since the telehealth coverage expansion in March, there have been at least 627,197 members using services totaling approximately 2.6 million claims. Of that number, 200,930 members received telehealth services from certified Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (MHAS) behavioral health providers totaling approximately 1.28 million claims, and at least 480,305 Medicaid members received telehealth services from non-MHAS providers totaling 1.3 million claims.

The rule will be reviewed by the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review (JCARR) and is on track to become effective as the current emergency rule expires.

CDC Temporarily Halts Evictions

On Tuesday September 1st, the day rent was due for thousands of Ohioans, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an order temporarily halting evictions from September 1 to December 31 2020 to prevent the spread of COVID-19:

“In the context of a pandemic, eviction moratoria—like quarantine, isolation, and social distancing—can be an effective public health measure utilized to prevent the spread of communicable disease. Eviction moratoria facilitate self-isolation by people who become ill or who are at risk for severe illness from COVID-19 due to an underlying medical condition. They also allow State and local authorities to more easily implement stay-at-home and social distancing directives to mitigate the community spread of COVID-19. Furthermore, housing stability helps protect public health because homelessness increases the likelihood of individuals moving into congregate settings, such as homeless shelters, which then puts individuals at higher risk to COVID-19.The ability of these settings to adhere to best practices, such as social distancing and other infection control measures, decreases as populations increase. Unsheltered homelessness also increases the risk that individuals will experience severe illness from COVID-19.”

This federal moratorium is an important immediate step that will save a lot of families in the short run. However, we will be living with this virus for a long time and need a long term solution. Accrued rent will still be due January 1, 2021—during the typical flu season and the coldest months of the year. The order issued from the CDC is also overly complex and likely to be tied up in litigation.

Emergency rental assistance on both the federal and state level continues to be a critical component for families out of work. AOF and our partners continue to advocate for $100 billion in rental assistance at the federal level and $100 million in already received CARES Act funding at the state level to help families reduce their accrued rent.

Read more from our partners at COHHIO HERE