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HB675 • 2026

Enact the Healthier Rural Hospitals Act

Enact the Healthier Rural Hospitals Act

Healthcare
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Jason Stephens
Last action
Official status
As Introduced
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Enact the Healthier Rural Hospitals Act

To establish a temporary program for hospital payments made by Medicaid managed care organizations and to name this act the Healthier Rural Hospitals Act.

What This Bill Does

  • To establish a temporary program for hospital payments made by Medicaid managed care organizations and to name this act the Healthier Rural Hospitals Act.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. Ohio Legislature

    As Introduced

Official Summary Text

To establish a temporary program for hospital payments made by Medicaid managed care organizations and to name this act the Healthier Rural Hospitals Act.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
As Introduced

136th
General Assembly

Regular
Session
H. B. No. 675

2025-2026

Representatives Stephens, Deeter

To

establish a temporary program for hospital payments made by Medicaid
managed care organizations and to name this act the Healthier Rural
Hospitals Act.

BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section
1.
(A)
The Department of Medicaid shall establish a program under which
hospitals in counties in this state with a population less than one
hundred thousand residents receive specified payments from a Medicaid
managed care organization in accordance with this section. As part of
the program, the Department shall calculate the statewide average
payment rate paid by Medicaid managed care organizations to all
hospitals for hospital services provided to Medicaid recipients.

(B)
The Department shall determine a hospital's eligibility to receive
payments under the program by calculating a score for each county in
this state with a population less than one hundred thousand
residents. Scores shall equal the sum of a county's ranking in the
following categories:

(1)
The county's rank in this state based on the county's age-adjusted
rate of cancer deaths per one hundred thousand residents for calendar
year 2022. A rank of one shall reflect the highest rate of cancer
deaths in this state.

(2)
The county's rank in this state based on the county's percentage of
population at or below one hundred fifty per cent of the federal
poverty level. A rank of one shall reflect the highest per cent of
individuals at or below one hundred fifty per cent of the federal
poverty level in this state.

(3)
The county's rank in this state based on the county's age-adjusted
rate of deaths from chronic lower respiratory disease per one hundred
thousand residents for calendar year 2022. A rank of one shall
reflect the highest rate of deaths in this state.

(4)
The county's rank in this state based on the county's age-adjusted
rate of death from stroke per one hundred thousand residents for
calendar year 2022. A rank of one shall reflect the highest rate of
deaths in this state.

(5)
The county's rank in this state based on the county's average annual
age-adjusted rate of unintentional drug overdose death for calendar
years 2017 through 2021. A rank of one shall reflect the highest
average annual rate of deaths in this state.

(C)
After calculating scores under division (B) of this section, the
Department shall rank all counties in this state with a population
less than one hundred thousand residents from lowest to highest. The
twenty lowest-ranked counties shall be eligible to participate in the
program established under this section.

(1)
For counties ranked one through ten, a Medicaid managed care
organization shall pay each hospital located in an eligible county a
payment rate for hospital services that is at least one hundred fifty
per cent of the statewide average rate calculated by the Department
under division (A) of this section.

(2)
For counties ranked eleven through twenty, a Medicaid managed care
organization shall pay each hospital located in an eligible county a
payment rate for hospital services that is at least one hundred
twenty-five per cent of the statewide average rate calculated by the
Department under division (A) of this section.

(D)
In making payments under division (C) of this section, a Medicaid
managed care organization shall not reduce the payment rate made to a
hospital not participating in the program as a means of making
payments in accordance with this section.

(E)
The Department shall terminate the program two years after the
effective date of this section.

Section
2.
This
act shall be known as the Healthier Rural Hospitals Act.