In May 2026, OCHC sent a letter to Ohio Department of Medicaid Deputy Director Patrick Beatty, following up on the January letter offering guidance on where Ohio had discretion regarding work requirements. This letter offered a partnership to help shepherd ODM through complex technical rules and regulations in order to ensure that Ohioans would not lose their benefits due to burdensome implementation or uncertainty.
In January 2026, OCHC drafted a letter to ODM Director Scott Partika and ODM Deputy Director Patrick Beatty regarding implementation of the upcoming work requirements and provided recommendations regarding implementation decisions in which ODM enjoyed discretion.
In May of 2025, OCHC drafted a legislative letter that was sent to fifteen Senate Finance and Medicaid Committee members. This letter contained a guide to FMAP and used targeted data to persuade lawmakers to protect Medicaid Expansion.
In April 2025, OCHC submitted comments to HHS Secretary Kennedy strongly opposing the proposed 1115 Waivers, arguing that the new requirements would violate the law and cause material harm to Ohio beneficiaries while also being unadministerable.
In April 2025, OCHC drafted a letter to ODM Director Maureen Corcoran regarding the Multi-Year Continuous Medicaid Eligibility for Children s.1115 Waiver, providing support for the proposal as it would expand early childhood coverage and preventative care as well as prevent churn that harms children’s long-term development
In January 2025, OCHC drafted a letter to ODM Director Maureen Corcoran about Section 1115 waivers seeking to impose Medicaid work requirements, highlighting t how Medicaid is essential to consumers’ lives and how implementation of such burdens would harm beneficiaries and cause an increased administrative backlog.
Throughout 2024, OCHC supported an ambitious campaign to improve health outcomes through public advocacy, focusing on a statewide ban on flavored and menthol cigarette sales
In February 2024, OCHC offered public comment on expanding maternal and infant community health care access by expanding school-based care, including doula services, and modernizing Medicaid to better meet the needs of children and families
In February of 2024, OCHC sent a letter to Governor Mike DeWine recommending a rejection of draft regulations targeting LGBTQ+ Ohioans, advocating for patient and provider autonomy to produce the best outcomes individually and for the state
In August of 2023, OCHC submitted official comments to the U.S. Department of Education that advocated for simplified parental consent processes for healthcare in school-based programs, making it easier for children to receive care in a school setting.
In June of 2023, OCHC, through Senior Health Policy Associate Kelly Vyzral, prepared and presented the maternal and child health budget as testimony for Ohio House Bill 33 (Ohio’s 2024-25 budget), in support of Medicaid coverage for women and children up to 300% of the FPL, increased funding for school-based healthcare, increase housing access to pregnant Ohioans, and promoting maternal and infant health through various health policy strategies.
In March of 2023, OCHC provided testimony to the Ohio House Insurance Committee in support of Ohio House Bill 49, which would protect communities from instances of surprise billing by hospitals and prohibit entities from collecting on behalf of hospitals. House Bill 49 has now been passed by the House and the Senate and is awaiting action by Governor DeWine.
In 2022, OCHC worked with others to create an innovative Health Equity Assessment Tool, designed to help policymakers make fairer decisions for all Ohioans. OCHC worked with a coalition to develop recommendations to financially support school-based health care in Ohio. OCHC submitted questions to CMS regarding access to health care coverage.
Throughout 2022, OCHC continued its efforts to oppose Ohio House Bills 322 and 327, both of which would undermine education and restrict learning.
Also in 2022, OCHC signed onto the Hunger Free Schools Ohio campaign, with the mission to ensure all Ohio students have access to school meals.
In 2021, OCHC advocated for anti-racism in health care. With UCHAN Ohio, OCHC encouraged policymakers to consider Health and Equity in all Policies. The coalition highlighted the need for Ohio to strengthen school-based health care.
In 2020, OCHC recommended steps to Ohio’s governor and General Assembly on addressing COVID-19 and racial health disparities. OCHC advocated for integrating health equity considerations into policy-making. OCHC sent a letter to ODM regarding the implementation plan for Medicaid work requirements, seeking to protect Medicaid applications and services. OCHC educated communities about health policies to increase community engagement and community voice in policy decisions.
In 2019, OCHC submitted comments to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in response to the request for comment on the community inflation measures produced by Federal Statistical Agencies. OCHC sent a letter to ODM requesting information regarding Medicaid enrollment rates dropping.
In 2018, OCHC advocated at the state and federal level in opposition to Ohio Department of Medicaid’s s.1115 Medicaid waiver application seeking to impose additional requirements on people who rely on Medicaid for them to maintain health insurance coverage.
In 2017, along with many partners, OCHC successfully advocated to protect the 2013 expansion of Medicaid to include over 701,000 Ohioans.
In 2016, OCHC engaged its member organizations in successfully opposing the State of Ohio’s s.1115 “Healthy Ohio” waiver request by disseminating information about the waiver impact, filing comments, and providing testimony on state hearings on the waiver request.
In 2015, OCHC supplied testimony and other input that improved the Ohio Department of Insurance rule requiring health plans to maintain accessible and up-to-date provider network listings.
From 2014 through 2023, OCHC convened regular “feedback loop” calls with patient navigators, certified application assistants, and other providers of health services, identifying barriers in Marketplace, Medicaid, and other health plans and developing strategies to alleviate them.
