Columbus, OH – On Wednesday, The Buckeye Institute testified (see full text below or download a PDF) before the Ohio Senate Health Committee on the policies in House Bill 122, which would permanently expand access to telehealth for all Ohioans.

In his testimony, Greg R. Lawson, research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, “applauded the regulatory changes adopted by the Trump and DeWine administrations that increased access to telehealth care,” and noted that making access to telehealth services permanent will “help Ohio citizens—especially those living in rural areas—access more health care services and specialists.”

Highlighting Buckeye’s own research, as well as others (here and here), Lawson reminded lawmakers of “telehealth’s potential to improve access to care, lower costs, and increase flexibility for patients and providers,” and urged them to “continue looking for ways to expand telehealth access without hobbling its potential to improve outcomes, lower costs, and promote future innovations.”

With Ohio’s current emergency COVID-19 rules on telehealth access set to expire on December 31, 2021, many Ohioans are at risk of losing access to this vital service unless lawmakers act and give all Ohioans “equal telehealth access to their healthcare providers.”

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Making Telehealth Permanent Will Increase Access to Care

Interested Party Testimony
Ohio Senate Health Committee
House Bill 122

Greg R. Lawson
Research Fellow
The Buckeye Institute
November 10, 2021

As Prepared for Delivery

Chairman Huffman, Vice Chair Antani, and Ranking Member Antonio, thank you for the opportunity to testify on the policies in House Bill 122.

My name is Greg R. Lawson, I am a research fellow at The Buckeye Institute, an independent research and educational institution—a think tank—whose mission is to advance free-market public policy in the states.

Last year, The Buckeye Institute applauded the regulatory changes adopted by the Trump and DeWine administrations that increased access to telehealth care, and we support Ohio’s latest effort to make such access permanent. In our writings and previous testimony, The Buckeye Institute has encouraged broader use of telehealth for general medical care and mental health care, so we commend House Bill 122’s telehealth coverage for psychologists, chiropractors, professional clinical counselors, independent social workers, and independent marriage and family therapists. By extending coverage to include advance practice registered nurses, pharmacists, occupational and physical therapists, and other health professionals, the bill will help Ohio citizens—especially those living in rural areas—access more health care services and specialists. 

Years of research demonstrate telehealth’s potential to improve access to care, lower costs, and increase flexibility for patients and providers. The recent pandemic highlighted the significance of these benefits as telehealth visits skyrocketed and remain much higher than their pre-pandemic levels even as in-person visits resume. And as the number and frequency of telehealth visits rose, their costs and overall healthcare expenses declined.

Much remains to be learned about broadening telehealth services, but they already hold significant promise for helping rural and elderly patients. Ohio health care providers have been implementing telemedicine and plan to expand services for hard-to-reach patients if the regulatory changes that expedited telehealth access become permanent. So policymakers should continue looking for ways to expand telehealth access without hobbling its potential to improve outcomes, lower costs, and promote future innovations. Patients have experienced firsthand the value that telehealth provides and will be reluctant to see telehealth access restricted again.

The Trump Administration made telehealth reforms permanent for federal health programs, but Ohio’s telehealth reforms have not yet been codified and the current emergency COVID-19 rules are set to expire on December 31. Thus, Medicaid recipients may have greater access to more care providers through telehealth than those with private health care coverage. That is not right. All Ohioans should have equal telehealth access to their healthcare providers. House Bill 122 helps achieve that objective.

House Bill 122 goes a long way towards expanding health care access in Ohio. The bill will make permanent more innovative access to health care that can better meet the needs of patients and providers. The federal government has already done so and now Ohio should, too. 

The Buckeye Institute appreciates the opportunity to testify on this critical issue and I am happy to take any questions the Committee might have.

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