As part of its mission to advocate for the continuous improvement of healthcare quality, access and value, EHPCO retains the services of Denise Larr and William Fitzgibbon of CWS Governmental Relations, Ltd. to lead our organization’s government lobbying efforts.  In addition, EHPCO maintains a Government Relations Committee to provide guidance and oversight of our advocacy process.  Generally, EHPCO advocates for the following types of policies:

• Policies that improve the transparency of cost and quality data in the marketplace so that employees and plan sponsors may become better consumers of healthcare services.
• Policies that improve the ability for employers of all sizes to offer health benefits.  EHPCO rarely supports legislation proposed to mandate specific benefits due to the additional expense that such mandates may create.
• Policies that maintain the private marketplace for healthcare services.  EHPCO does not support policies aimed at creating a government-run, single payor system in Ohio.
• Policies that improve the ability of uninsured individuals to access healthcare services within the current marketplace.
• Policies that recognize improvements in the healthcare system are achieved through collaboration among multiple stakeholders; no individual stakeholder should alone bear the financial burden of reforms.

EHPCO staff and member organizations have regularly been called upon to support active lobbying efforts through testimonies before Ohio House and Senate Committees, individual meetings with legislators, and participation in working groups to support specific legislation.  Overall, EHPCO has become a recognized entity within the state as a trusted advocate for employers’ interests in the healthcare marketplace.