Health care standards may be applied to Ohio school districts

The School Employees Health Care Board may soon require all Ohio school districts to follow statewide standards in an effort to cut rising health-care costs (source: Columbus Dispatch, Aug 30, 2007). According to the article, "A report released by the panel earlier this year said school districts could save up to $120 million a year in health-care costs by complying with best practices and maximizing their purchasing power by pooling with other districts for certain purchases such as prescription drugs."

Among the possible best practices being considered are requirements such as having an annual physical and using health-management programs to prevent common illnesses and problems like obesity. The article quotes Stephen F. Loebs, chairman of the School Employees Health Care Board, as saying the board will set specific requirements within nine months. School districts would then have to adopt the standards within a year. How the board would enforce the requirements is unclear since any enforcement policy would have to be approved by the Ohio General Assembly.