Health Care Alert: Ohio Medicaid to Release Emergency Rules to Expand Access to Telehealth

Today, March 19, 2020, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced he will be issuing an executive order authorizing the Department of Medicaid (ODM) to promulgate emergency rules which will expand access to telehealth. 

Although the text of the rules is not yet publicly available, ODM Director Maureen Corcoran indicated in a public statement that the rules will dramatically expand access to “medical and behavioral health” services and will permit the provision of services “by phone or video.”  Further, Director Corcoran clarified that the rules will not require a pre-existing relationship between a patient and a provider for telehealth services to be reimbursable.

We anticipate these rules will alleviate significant regulatory burdens to enable the provider community to continue its dual pandemic response targeted at prompt, safe patient care to Medicaid recipients and conserving and expanding practitioner capacity.  We also anticipate that these new rules will help relieve the burden on Ohio’s hospitals and emergency rooms during the COVID-19 crisis. 

The Vorys health care team is monitoring for additional guidance from ODM and will provide an update when more information is available. 

Vorys is continuing to monitor the COVID-19 outbreak and related guidance to clients in the health care industry.  We also strongly urge providers to continually monitor developments that pertain to your specific organization. If you have questions about COVID-19 or its impact on your organization, please contact

Suzanne Scrutton, Jolie Havens, Liam Gruzs, Robin Amicon, Mairi Mull.