07/11/2023

OHOS Regional Spring Meeting Roundtables

The OHOS Roundtable Luncheons held in June across key cities in Ohio; Cincinnati, Dayton, Cleveland, Akron/Canton, Columbus, and Toledo, were an overwhelming success! More than 120 OHOS members and non-members attended addressing the common goal of removing barriers to patient care and improving access for cancer patients in Ohio.  The meetings were extremely informative, leading to the initiation of several impactful OHOS initiatives.  

While there were many, here are some of the key topics and areas of focus;

The need for financial navigation education and sharing “best practice” processes.

• Participants recognized that enhancing their understanding of financial matters related to patient care would greatly contribute to improving the quality of services provided. As a result, efforts are underway to develop educational resources and establish streamlined processes for financial navigation.  This will also be a key topic at the OHOS Annual Meeting on November 8th in Columbus.

Numerous payer issues faced by healthcare providers.

• These challenges primarily involved untimely payer authorizations and payments, wrongful denials, and payment take backs. Anthem, UnitedHealthcare, and Ohio Medicaid were identified as the main offenders. This realization prompted attendees to emphasize the importance of joining forces and leveraging the collective voice of the society to address these barriers to care. Instead of working individually and resolving issues on a case-by-case basis, collaborative efforts are being encouraged to drive systemic change.  

Unveiled the necessity of empowering OHOS members with a better understanding of Ohio payer laws already in place to protect cancer patients and the necessary steps needed to enforce them.

• Notable legal aspects discussed included prompt pay regulations enabling members to collect 18% interest on clean claims paid late, insurance overpayment recovery laws which limit the timeframe for take-backs by a payer, and further education on dealing with self employed (ERISA) plans. Additional discussions emphasized the need for education on how to enforce the regulations already in place in Ohio related to prior authorization, including the required turnaround time and the duration within which payers must allow prior authorizations before requesting new ones.  

Since many of the members and non-members have not had the opportunity to sit at the same table with other oncology peers in there area, this meeting certainly proved the need to join forces and address these common issues as a team as the best approach to protect our cancer patients and our clinics.

As a result of these sessions, members can anticipate the launch of various forthcoming initiatives. Some include the launch of a financial navigator listserve, educational webinars, and relevant information in the society's newsletter to name a few. Additionally, the OHOS annual meeting scheduled for November 8, 2023, at the Embassy Suites Columbus Airport in Columbus, Ohio will include an educational focus on these barriers while also preparing attendees for 2024 changes in reimbursement.  Please SAVE THE DATE - You DO NOT want to miss this meeting!

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who attended the Roundtable Luncheons. The passion and dedication displayed during these sessions were truly remarkable. The positive impact was palpable, as some administrators returned to their clinics the very next day, ready to implement changes based on the transformative discussions that took place.  So exciting that so many are very ready to lock arms and address these barriers as a team.    

Let us continue this journey together, united in our goal to remove barriers and improve cancer care in Ohio. The future holds great promise, and we invite you to be a part of this inspiring movement.  

If you have any questions, need additional information or would like to volunteer for a committee, please contact:  OHOS Executive Director, Michelle Weiss, mweiss@ohos.org