The Buckeye Institute’s longtime advocacy of expanding healthcare access and charity care–especially in low-income and underserved areas of Ohio–has found expression in two bills introduced to Ohio’s General Assembly in the past 24 hours.

These two companion bills reflect the policy ideas outlined in The Buckeye Institute’s report, Expanding Access to Healthcare in Ohio, which was released in November.

“Eliminating red tape and expanding the ability of charities to offer healthcare to low-income and underserved areas is an important step toward narrowing the gap between demand and supply in Ohio,” says Rea Hederman, Jr., executive vice president and director of the Economic Research Center at The Buckeye Institute.

The two bills were introduced respectively in the Ohio House and Senate by Rep. Robert Sprague, R-Findlay, and Sen. Peggy Lehner, R-Kettering.  If passed, these bills will:

• Allow volunteer and charity care to count as continuing education credits for physicians, nurses, dentists, and many other licensed healthcare providers.
   
• Provide limited legal immunity to licensed, out-of-state healthcare professionals who come to Ohio and provide volunteer medical care for short periods of time.
   
• Expand free clinics and other charity care providers’ ability to operate mobile care centers to bring healthcare to areas with chronic provider shortages.

Sen. Peggy Lehner, vice chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee: “This is an opportunity to empower healthcare professionals in Ohio to help those who need care most desperately. The state of Ohio would save millions by allowing our healthcare professionals to volunteer their services without fear of civil liability.”

Rep. Robert Sprague, a member of the House Health and Aging Committee: “This legislation will help Ohioans in underserved communities have increased access to healthcare services. This bill strengthens Ohio’s volunteer care system.  It will enable our medical professionals to offer their time and talents, while granting liability protections and allowing them to earn continuing education hours.”

Deborah Miller, executive director of the Ohio Association of Free Clinics: “As volunteer driven healthcare organizations, free clinics across Ohio will benefit greatly from this proposed legislation. Volunteer physicians, nurses and medical professionals will now have, not only the increased protection from liability, but also the ability to earn educational credit while meeting the needs of Ohio’s underserved.”