Policy.
Partnership.
Advocacy.

Kelly O’Reilly, President and CEO, Ohio Association of Health Plans

Like many in the health-care industry, our member plans are deeply invested in meeting the needs of the moment in behavioral-health care. Two factors — a rise in behavioral-health needs and a growing willingness to seek treatment — have come together to create an unprecedented demand for care.

I’m excited to talk about two new ways OAHP is engaged: our membership in the Ohio Opioid Education Alliance and new “road map” for accessing behavioral-health care.

By Angela Weaver, Director of Regulatory Affairs, Ohio Association of Health Plans

For many of us working to improve health care, the challenges we face can sometimes seem overwhelming, especially in two of the most difficult areas — behavioral health and overall health equity.

By Todd Baker, Chief Executive Officer, Ohio State Medical Association

The trials of the pandemic have put a spotlight on the emotional toll that comes with being a health care professional, but it wasn’t news to us at the Ohio State Medical Association. Stress and burnout long have been issues in health care and we’ve been working for years to provide resources for physicians and other providers to obtain care for their own well-being.

When COVID-19 vaccination rates for Ohio Medicaid members lagged the state overall last summer, OAHP’s member managed care plans launched an all-hands effort to get more people protected. With the support of the Ohio Department of Medicaid, the plans set competition aside in this area and set up task forces to enlist community partners, create vaccination opportunities and promote them to Medicaid members.

By Jane Peterson, President, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Ohio

The good news is that concern for health care affordability is higher now than at any point I can remember. There is growing collaboration among health systems, health plans, employers and their employees to achieve the collective goal of more affordable and higher-quality health care. Here’s a look at their changing roles and the critical role technology is playing to make it happen.

By Brittany Pope, M.S., Director of Applied Clinical Sciences and Research, OhioGuidestone

Through a century and a half of working with marginalized children and families, the professionals at OhioGuidestone have come to understand that life experiences can present challenges that affect their wellness journeys and paths to success just as much as any intervention we could devise.

By Nikki Reiss, Senior Strategist for Advocacy & Communication Solutions

All children deserve to be healthy and get the care they need to thrive throughout childhood and into adulthood. Student physical and mental health and wellness are critical foundations for success in school and life, but according to the 2019-2020 National Survey of Children’s Health, an estimated 69,000 school-age children in Ohio were not able to access needed health care.

By Teresa Kobelt, Director, Office of Policy, OCALI

Over the past year, OAHP and OCALI convened a diverse group of stakeholders representing people with disabilities, family members, researchers, providers, payors, and community partners to address these barriers. The result: “Improving Outcomes for People with Disabilities” (IOPWD).