Ohio Hospital Association backs Senate changes to state budget

The Ohio Hospital Association has applauded several changes the Ohio Senate has made to its state budget proposal (Source: “Ohio hospitals prefer Senate budget proposal over House plan,” MedCity News, June 1, 2011).

The Senate plan removes from the version passed by the House “non-contracting” language that hospitals contend would diminish their ability to negotiate contracts with Medicaid mananged care plans.

The Hospitals also support the Senate’s decision to retain a House budget proposal that would keep franchise fees to hospitals. The fee is designed to help the state draw more matching federal dollars for Medicaid and hospitals are then reimbursed for the fee, which originated two years ago under former Gov. Ted Strickland.