The Better Access to Health Care Act seeks to amend various sections of the Ohio Revised Code to enhance the roles of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and improve maternity care coverage. Key provisions include the requirement for health insurance policies to cover a minimum of 48 hours of inpatient care following a normal vaginal delivery and 96 hours following a cesarean delivery. The bill allows certified nurse-midwives to make discharge decisions for mothers and newborns in collaboration with a physician, rather than solely under a physician's direction. It also introduces new language regarding follow-up care, ensuring it includes necessary assessments and education for both mothers and newborns. Additionally, the bill establishes a new section, 4723.439, outlining the responsibilities and immunities of APRNs when collaborating with physicians, and repeals sections 4723.45 and 5164.73 to streamline the legal framework governing APRNs.

Further amendments focus on the collaboration between APRNs and physicians or podiatrists, requiring standard care arrangements that must be documented but do not need prior approval from the state medical board. The bill clarifies that APRNs can practice without a standard care arrangement after meeting specific criteria, including a minimum of 5,000 hours of clinical practice. It also specifies that APRNs can prescribe medications in certain healthcare settings and outlines the requirements for licensure, including the completion of a course in advanced pharmacology. The legislation emphasizes the importance of collaboration in healthcare delivery and aims to enhance access to services while ensuring that healthcare professionals can make necessary recommendations without fear of retaliation.

Statutes affected:
As Introduced: 1751.67, 2133.211, 3313.539, 3707.511, 3727.06, 3923.233, 3923.301, 3923.63, 3923.64, 4723.01, 4723.02, 4723.06, 4723.07, 4723.24, 4723.28, 4723.36, 4723.41, 4723.42, 4723.43, 4723.431, 4723.44, 4723.46, 4723.481, 4723.482, 4723.483, 4723.493, 4723.50, 4731.27, 4761.17, 5164.07, 4723.45, 5164.73