News & Advocacy
posted: September 4, 2019
The practice of “clawbacks” and gag restrictions has been witnessed in every state and has resulted in over a dozen lawsuits across the country despite recent, enacted federal law. PBMs...
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posted: September 4, 2019
In May, a proposal was made to the budget bill under consideration by the legislature which included an amendment to put the International Pricing Index (IPI) model in state law. OAR holds that...
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posted: September 4, 2019
In June, OAR mailed out handouts to provider offices containing information on how to contact the Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI) to file complaints for prior authorization violations. The...
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posted: September 4, 2019
OAR holds that establishing adequate federal funding for osteoporosis testing is critical in order to prevent patients from being under-diagnosed and under-treated for this debilitating and deadly...
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posted: September 4, 2019
Legislation to address non-medical switching practices in the state is expected to be filed this fall. The measure seeks to prohibit switches for those covered by a health benefit plan and in the...
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posted: July 25, 2019
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Health care systems nationwide are using a policy called non-medical switching, which requires doctors to switch patients from a medication they’re using to a...
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posted: July 19, 2019
Many of Gov. Mike DeWine’s 25 budget vetoes had to do with sweeping reforms to the pharmacy middlemen serving the state’s Medicaid system, but the governor insisted that he remained committed to...
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posted: June 23, 2019
A Dispatch analysis of prescription drug prices for the poor and disabled since the state’s latest stab at reform turns up one simple fact: No matter what laws or regulations are changed, as long...
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posted: June 20, 2019
Addressing soaring prescription drug prices is a health care reform priority in the United States. While the pricing practices of pharmaceutical companies have been a subject of intense scrutiny...
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posted: May 20, 2019
The OAR Joint Advocacy Day with the Arthritis Foundation was a huge success with record physician participation. There were 20 rheumatology professionals representing OAR in 22 of the 37 legislator...
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posted: May 20, 2019
There are two PBM transparency bills in the legislature this year. One bill that has gained traction in the House is HB 63, The Prescription Drug Co-pay Integrity Act, sponsored by Rep. Scott Lipps...
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posted: May 20, 2019
Legislation to reform non-medical switching practices is expected to be filed by Representative Scott Lipps (R) in the coming weeks. The legislation seeks to prohibit switches for those...
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posted: May 20, 2019
OAR is opposed to copay accumulator programs currently being used as a new utilization management tool by health insurers. Under accumulator adjustment programs, patients must pay off the full...
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posted: May 20, 2019
OAR received notice in March that changes would be made to the CareSource Formulary effective April 1, 2019 concerning the removal of Humira for RA indications from the CareSource formulary for OH...
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posted: May 20, 2019
OAR has been working on third party prior authorization compliance issues for the past several months. In April, OAR President Dr. Stephanie Ott met with policy staff from the Ohio Department of...
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posted: May 20, 2019
In April, OAR submitted a letter to several Ohio Congressman asking them to urge the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) to abandon the International Pricing Index Model (IPI) for Part B Drugs....
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posted: April 9, 2019
The way Ohio delivers prescription drugs to Medicaid recipients underwent a major change Tuesday. CareSource, by far Ohio’s largest Medicaid managed-care provider, announced that it was...
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posted: February 27, 2019
In a huge win for Ohio advocates, former Governor Kasich signed the step therapy bill into law on January 4, 2019. Patients will now be provided a clear process to override step therapy protocols...
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posted: February 27, 2019
OAR President Dr. Stephanie Ott and OAR government affairs traveled to Columbus to meet with State Representative Scott Lipps to talk about Ohio non-medical switching legislation. Rep. Lipps has...
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posted: February 27, 2019
As a result of legislation passed in 2016 of which OAR supported, Ohio Insurance Law requires insurers and plans defined time limits on which they must respond to prior authorization requests. OAR...
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