October 28, 2025 • 13 mins
We unpack how the federal shutdown, expired telehealth waivers, and looming SNAP delays intersect with daily counseling practice in Ohio, then analyze state bills that could reshape access and privacy. We close with clear actions to protect clients, support communities, and engage policymakers.
• impact of the federal shutdown on counseling care
• expiration of Medicaid and Medicare telehealth waivers and exceptions
• immediate steps for clients facing SNAP disruptions
• HB 502 to backfill SNAP, WIC and TANF shortfalls
• HB 162 and risks to minors’ confidentiality
• HB 324 and threats to medication access and equity
• practical advocacy targets and talking points
• resources for contacting CMS and Ohio committees
Don’t forget to subscribe for monthly updates
If you have any questions, want to get involved, or have additional information, connect with us through our social media or in the link in our show notes
Resources:
- https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/status-reports
- https://ohiocounseling.org/legislative-advocacy
- https://www.counseling.org/advocacy/take-action
- National Board for Certified Counselors Guide to Advocacy Communication
- NASW Ohio, Current Legislation (Scripts Included)
- League of Women Voters: Advocacy Resources
- Additional Informational Resources
OCA Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/ohiocounseling
Stay in touch and join the conversation:
- Instagram: @OhioCounseling
- Facebook: facebook.com/ohiocounseling
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ohio-counseling-association-b78256165/
Created by the OCA's Media, Public Relations, and Membership (MPRM) Committee & its Podcast Subcommittee
·Hosted by Mariah Payne
·Pre-Production & Coordination by Marisa Cargill, Victoria Frazier, Mariah Payne, and Leah Wood
·Editing by Marisa Cargill
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_00 (00:01):
Welcome to Ohio Counsel Conversations How to
Decapital Your Quick Connectionfrom the Counseling Office to
where laws meet lies.
In this segment, we break downthe latest legislative and
judicial updates, policychanges, and advocacy efforts
that impact counselors acrossOhio.
Whether you're licensed, intraining, or just passionate
(00:22):
about the field of counseling,we've got what you need to stay
informed and empowered.
SPEAKER_01 (00:28):
Welcome back to the Couch to Capital on Ohio
Counseling Conversations, wherewe bridge the gap between your
clinical couch and the halls ofOhio State House and beyond.
I'm Mariah Payne, and each monthit's our goal to bring you the
most relevant legislativeupdates impacting counselors,
clients, and the mental healthprofession across our state.
In today's episode, I willprovide you with information
(00:50):
about the government shutdown,telehealth Medicaid coverage,
Ohio SNAP benefits, importantstate bills, and ways to support
our communities.
Let's begin with the nationalevents to be aware of.
As of October 1st, 2025, theU.S.
government is in shutdown.
A government shutdown happenswhen the federal spending bills
are unable to be passed orsigned.
(01:11):
This creates a gap in fundingand can cause government
functions to be temporarilydisrupted.
Congress can pass continuingresolutions to provide funding
during negotiations.
In September, Couch to Capitalreported on Congress considering
a stopgap measure that wouldhave extended federal funding
past September 30th.
While this measure included arelevant extension for
(01:33):
telehealth coverage,unfortunately, the U.S.
Senate did not pass thismeasure.
As a result, the Medicaid andMedicare telehealth waivers
developed during the pandemichave expired.
Starting on the 1st of thismonth, Medicaid coverage has now
reverted to policies existingprior to quarantine, effectively
limiting what services can beprovided virtually.
(01:55):
It is important to note thatthere are exceptions for mental
health services, substance abusedisorder treatment, and
physicians participating incertain rural Medicaid programs.
On October 15th, the Center forMedicare and Medicaid Services
clarified that physicians maycontinue to provide and bill for
services that are impacted bythe expired provisions.
(02:16):
However, these claims will beplaced on a payment hold and are
not guaranteed payment.
Impacted physicians should weightheir risks alongside ethical
responsibilities.
They may choose to reschedule orto convert to in-person care
when possible.
As mental health professionals,it is our responsibility to
advocate for improved access toservices and the removal of
(02:38):
barriers.
I encourage you to reach out toyour Congress members and
request that they supporttelehealth flexibilities in
future legislation.
Be sure to share how thisaffects your practice,
community, and clients.
We have included relevant linksto Ohio representatives,
senators, as well as resourcesfrom the National Board of
Certified Counselors andAmerican Counseling Association
(02:59):
in today's show notes.
Additionally, the Center forMedicaid Services suggests that
those with Medicaid paymentissues contact their Center for
Economic Services.
We've included their contactinformation in the show notes as
well.
This shutdown may also impactthe Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program known asSNAP.
This program is a monthly formof government assistance that
(03:22):
helps households buy food andnecessities.
The Ohio Department of Job andFamily Services advised that
SNAP recipients may not receivetheir November benefits as
normally scheduled if thefederal government remains in
shutdown.
While food banks have remainedopen, many are urging their
supporters to help out howeverthey can as resources are
(03:42):
limited.
In response, helpingprofessionals should consider
bolstering their resources theyshare with clients to include
food banks, mutual aid groups,and if possible, local community
fridges.
During sessions, it may beappropriate to review a client's
local resources, develop aconcrete plan, validate their
emotional experiences, and holdspace for their responses to
(04:04):
systemic harms.
Outside of sessions, counselorscan contribute to food banks,
amplify voices of thoseimpacted, document the harm in
our communities, and advocatefor change.
Without congressional action andlong-term protections,
underserved communities faceincreased barriers to care,
reduced financial security, andincreased food scarcity.
(04:26):
Thankfully, some Ohiolegislators are working to close
the resource gap for Ohioans.
On October 7th, House Bill 502was introduced into the Ohio
House Committee.
House Bill 502 is a bill thatwould allow Ohio to use funds
from our rainy day fund tobackfill any federal shortfalls
in SNAP, WIC, and temporary aidto needy families or TANAF.
(04:51):
All three of these programsprovide dollars to support food
banks and low-income families.
I encourage you to reach out tothe House Agricultural Committee
to share how these protectionsare essential to the security of
Ohioans.
I've included more informationabout House Bill 502, contacting
the House Committee as well assites to search for local food
(05:12):
bank locations in today's shownotes.
Now we will take a look at a fewother bills relevant to Ohio's
mental health professionals.
The first is House Bill 162,known as the ENACT the My Child,
My Chart Act.
House Bill 162 would changeprivacy rules regarding minors
receiving help without parentalconsent when they're
(05:33):
experiencing a crisis.
Under section 5122.04 of theOhio Revised Code, minors 14
years and older can voluntarilyseek and consent to outpatient
mental health services withoutparental consent for a short
period of time.
This law strikes a carefulbalance.
It ensures young people incrisis can reach out when
(05:56):
they're afraid while stillrequiring eventual parental
involvement.
House Bill 162 would requireproviders who use an electronic
health record system to ensurethat a child's parent or
guardian can access the minor'srecords to the fullest extent
allowed by HIPAA and existinglaws.
Furthermore, House Bill 162could ban providers from
(06:20):
requiring that child'sauthorization or assent before
the guardian accesses theirrecords.
Healthcare providers would alsobe required to annually inform
guardians of the services thattheir child is able to receive
without that guardian's consent.
This includes services such asblood donations, emergency
(06:40):
services for survivors ofassault, abortions, HIV testing
or treatment, substance usetreatment, and some outpatient
services.
Healthcare providers would alsobe required to annually inform
guardians of the services theirchild is able to receive without
that guardian's consent.
This includes services such asblood donations, emergency
(07:02):
services for survivors ofassault, abortions, HIV testing
or treatment, substance usetreatment, and some outpatient
services.
If the child gives their assent,House Bill 162 would enshrine
this as blanket consent forpast, current, and future
records from that provider,potentially including services
that a child receives withouttheir parents' consent.
(07:25):
It's possible that this may notapply in emergency care settings
where future services are notreasonably expected.
House Bill 162 was referred tothe Senate Health Committee on
October 22nd after passingthrough the Ohio House of
Representatives.
If HB 162 passes, the My ChildMy Chart Act would create
(07:47):
confusion regarding parentalaccess to their child's health
information.
It also carries the risk that achild might provide consent at a
young age and not realize thattheir parents retain access to
these records until they are anadult.
Overall, best practices formaintaining a minor's records
include keeping them as privateas possible and protecting the
(08:09):
minor's autonomy as much aspossible.
It is our ethical responsibilityto protect the confidentiality
of information received in anymedium in the counseling
relationship.
Instead of simply improvingcommunication between parents
and providers, House Bill 162puts our most vulnerable
children at risk.
(08:30):
Now is a great time to speakwith the Ohio Senate Health
Committee and tell them why itis important to stop House Bill
162 from moving forward.
As mentioned earlier, our shownotes include links to your Ohio
Senators and advocacy resourcesfor counselors.
The next piece of legislation wewill discuss is House Bill 324,
which appears to be movingthrough Ohio's legislature.
(08:53):
Titled Enact the PatientProtection Act, House Bill 324
had opponent testimony in theOhio House Health Committee on
October 8th.
HB 324 could create unnecessarybarriers in accessing
medications like Muffapristone,a commonly used abortion
medication.
This bill is being reviewed incommittee despite voters
(09:14):
protecting abortion andreproductive rights in the Ohio
Constitution in 2023.
If passed, House Bill 324 wouldrequire Ohio's Department of
Health to establish if amedication has severe side
effects for greater than 5% ofrecipients, and then bar
pharmacies or retailers fromdistributing these medications.
According to the bill, severeadverse reactions include death,
(09:38):
hospitalization due to infectionor hemorrhage, organ failure or
sepsis.
While this bill does notdirectly mention muphapristone,
some supporters have directlyconnected their support to the
implications that HB 324 wouldhave on abortion pills.
The abortion drug Muphapristonehas been approved as safe and
effective by the FDA for 25years since September 2000.
(10:02):
Those who testified againstHouse Bill 324 noted flawed
research at the foundation ofthis bill's development, the
direct conflict with the OhioReproductive Freedom Amendment,
increased health care workload,and reduced access to medically
necessary medications.
This piece of legislation isrelevant to mental health and
(10:23):
helping professionals as itdirectly threatens the bodily
autonomy, mental well-being, andmedical equity of Ohioans.
HB 324 could cause harm byspreading misinformation about
approved medications, increasedliability risks for prescribers,
and decrease access to medicallynecessary treatment.
(10:46):
In the Ohio Nurses Association'stestimony, they succinctly
summarized why helpingprofessionals oppose House Bill
324 by stating it is a sweepingnon-clinical policy that would
undermine access to medicallynecessary treatment, overburden
ARPNs and nurses, and makepatients sicker.
(11:06):
For these reasons, werespectfully ask the committee
to reject HB 324.
The implications of House Bill324 directly conflict with
multiple guiding principles forcounselors, physicians, and
other medical professionals.
Since the review committee hasrecently conducted opponent
testimony, it is possible thatthe committee may reach a
(11:29):
decision soon.
This is an appropriate moment tocontact the Ohio House Health
Committee and share the impactsthat this piece of legislation
could have.
Request that the Ohio HouseHealth Committee reject House
Bill 324.
Thank you for your time inlearning more about the
government shutdown, disruptionsto benefits, and legislation
(11:50):
being considered in the OhioState Capitol.
The House Health Committee andthe Senate Health Committee are
each considering bills thatcould significantly impact
Ohio's health professions.
Advocates can contactrepresentatives on these
committees and request that theynot report favorably on House
Bill 324 and House Bill 162.
(12:12):
Given the challenges associatedwith the federal shutdown, it is
important for counselors andmental health providers to stay
informed on federal resolutions.
Once again, the Center forMedicaid Services has encouraged
physicians experiencing Medicarepayment delays or other issues
to contact their Center forEconomic Services.
(12:33):
Their contact information, alongwith additional resources and
information, can be found intoday's episode's show notes.
I hope that with this time wehave started to bridge the gap
between your clinical couch andthe halls of our capitals.
Don't forget to subscribe formonthly updates.
If you have any questions, wantto get involved, or have
(12:53):
additional information, connectwith us through our social media
or in the link in our shownotes.
SPEAKER_00 (12:59):
That's it for this edition of Couch to Capital,
brought to you by the OhioCounseling Association and Ohio
Counseling Conversations.
In the meantime, stay tuned,stay engaged, and keep
advocating for the future ofcounsel in Ohio.
Because what happens at theCapitol doesn't stay at the
Capitol, it impacts everycounseling conversation.
Welcome to Ohio Counsel Conversations How to
Decapital Your Quick Connectionfrom the Counseling Office to
where laws meet lies.
In this segment, we break downthe latest legislative and
judicial updates, policychanges, and advocacy efforts
that impact counselors acrossOhio.
Whether you're licensed, intraining, or just passionate
(00:22):
about the field of counseling,we've got what you need to stay
informed and empowered.
SPEAKER_01 (00:28):
Welcome back to the Couch to Capital on Ohio
Counseling Conversations, wherewe bridge the gap between your
clinical couch and the halls ofOhio State House and beyond.
I'm Mariah Payne, and each monthit's our goal to bring you the
most relevant legislativeupdates impacting counselors,
clients, and the mental healthprofession across our state.
In today's episode, I willprovide you with information
(00:50):
about the government shutdown,telehealth Medicaid coverage,
Ohio SNAP benefits, importantstate bills, and ways to support
our communities.
Let's begin with the nationalevents to be aware of.
As of October 1st, 2025, theU.S.
government is in shutdown.
A government shutdown happenswhen the federal spending bills
are unable to be passed orsigned.
(01:11):
This creates a gap in fundingand can cause government
functions to be temporarilydisrupted.
Congress can pass continuingresolutions to provide funding
during negotiations.
In September, Couch to Capitalreported on Congress considering
a stopgap measure that wouldhave extended federal funding
past September 30th.
While this measure included arelevant extension for
(01:33):
telehealth coverage,unfortunately, the U.S.
Senate did not pass thismeasure.
As a result, the Medicaid andMedicare telehealth waivers
developed during the pandemichave expired.
Starting on the 1st of thismonth, Medicaid coverage has now
reverted to policies existingprior to quarantine, effectively
limiting what services can beprovided virtually.
(01:55):
It is important to note thatthere are exceptions for mental
health services, substance abusedisorder treatment, and
physicians participating incertain rural Medicaid programs.
On October 15th, the Center forMedicare and Medicaid Services
clarified that physicians maycontinue to provide and bill for
services that are impacted bythe expired provisions.
(02:16):
However, these claims will beplaced on a payment hold and are
not guaranteed payment.
Impacted physicians should weightheir risks alongside ethical
responsibilities.
They may choose to reschedule orto convert to in-person care
when possible.
As mental health professionals,it is our responsibility to
advocate for improved access toservices and the removal of
(02:38):
barriers.
I encourage you to reach out toyour Congress members and
request that they supporttelehealth flexibilities in
future legislation.
Be sure to share how thisaffects your practice,
community, and clients.
We have included relevant linksto Ohio representatives,
senators, as well as resourcesfrom the National Board of
Certified Counselors andAmerican Counseling Association
(02:59):
in today's show notes.
Additionally, the Center forMedicaid Services suggests that
those with Medicaid paymentissues contact their Center for
Economic Services.
We've included their contactinformation in the show notes as
well.
This shutdown may also impactthe Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program known asSNAP.
This program is a monthly formof government assistance that
(03:22):
helps households buy food andnecessities.
The Ohio Department of Job andFamily Services advised that
SNAP recipients may not receivetheir November benefits as
normally scheduled if thefederal government remains in
shutdown.
While food banks have remainedopen, many are urging their
supporters to help out howeverthey can as resources are
(03:42):
limited.
In response, helpingprofessionals should consider
bolstering their resources theyshare with clients to include
food banks, mutual aid groups,and if possible, local community
fridges.
During sessions, it may beappropriate to review a client's
local resources, develop aconcrete plan, validate their
emotional experiences, and holdspace for their responses to
(04:04):
systemic harms.
Outside of sessions, counselorscan contribute to food banks,
amplify voices of thoseimpacted, document the harm in
our communities, and advocatefor change.
Without congressional action andlong-term protections,
underserved communities faceincreased barriers to care,
reduced financial security, andincreased food scarcity.
(04:26):
Thankfully, some Ohiolegislators are working to close
the resource gap for Ohioans.
On October 7th, House Bill 502was introduced into the Ohio
House Committee.
House Bill 502 is a bill thatwould allow Ohio to use funds
from our rainy day fund tobackfill any federal shortfalls
in SNAP, WIC, and temporary aidto needy families or TANAF.
(04:51):
All three of these programsprovide dollars to support food
banks and low-income families.
I encourage you to reach out tothe House Agricultural Committee
to share how these protectionsare essential to the security of
Ohioans.
I've included more informationabout House Bill 502, contacting
the House Committee as well assites to search for local food
(05:12):
bank locations in today's shownotes.
Now we will take a look at a fewother bills relevant to Ohio's
mental health professionals.
The first is House Bill 162,known as the ENACT the My Child,
My Chart Act.
House Bill 162 would changeprivacy rules regarding minors
receiving help without parentalconsent when they're
(05:33):
experiencing a crisis.
Under section 5122.04 of theOhio Revised Code, minors 14
years and older can voluntarilyseek and consent to outpatient
mental health services withoutparental consent for a short
period of time.
This law strikes a carefulbalance.
It ensures young people incrisis can reach out when
(05:56):
they're afraid while stillrequiring eventual parental
involvement.
House Bill 162 would requireproviders who use an electronic
health record system to ensurethat a child's parent or
guardian can access the minor'srecords to the fullest extent
allowed by HIPAA and existinglaws.
Furthermore, House Bill 162could ban providers from
(06:20):
requiring that child'sauthorization or assent before
the guardian accesses theirrecords.
Healthcare providers would alsobe required to annually inform
guardians of the services thattheir child is able to receive
without that guardian's consent.
This includes services such asblood donations, emergency
(06:40):
services for survivors ofassault, abortions, HIV testing
or treatment, substance usetreatment, and some outpatient
services.
Healthcare providers would alsobe required to annually inform
guardians of the services theirchild is able to receive without
that guardian's consent.
This includes services such asblood donations, emergency
(07:02):
services for survivors ofassault, abortions, HIV testing
or treatment, substance usetreatment, and some outpatient
services.
If the child gives their assent,House Bill 162 would enshrine
this as blanket consent forpast, current, and future
records from that provider,potentially including services
that a child receives withouttheir parents' consent.
(07:25):
It's possible that this may notapply in emergency care settings
where future services are notreasonably expected.
House Bill 162 was referred tothe Senate Health Committee on
October 22nd after passingthrough the Ohio House of
Representatives.
If HB 162 passes, the My ChildMy Chart Act would create
(07:47):
confusion regarding parentalaccess to their child's health
information.
It also carries the risk that achild might provide consent at a
young age and not realize thattheir parents retain access to
these records until they are anadult.
Overall, best practices formaintaining a minor's records
include keeping them as privateas possible and protecting the
(08:09):
minor's autonomy as much aspossible.
It is our ethical responsibilityto protect the confidentiality
of information received in anymedium in the counseling
relationship.
Instead of simply improvingcommunication between parents
and providers, House Bill 162puts our most vulnerable
children at risk.
(08:30):
Now is a great time to speakwith the Ohio Senate Health
Committee and tell them why itis important to stop House Bill
162 from moving forward.
As mentioned earlier, our shownotes include links to your Ohio
Senators and advocacy resourcesfor counselors.
The next piece of legislation wewill discuss is House Bill 324,
which appears to be movingthrough Ohio's legislature.
(08:53):
Titled Enact the PatientProtection Act, House Bill 324
had opponent testimony in theOhio House Health Committee on
October 8th.
HB 324 could create unnecessarybarriers in accessing
medications like Muffapristone,a commonly used abortion
medication.
This bill is being reviewed incommittee despite voters
(09:14):
protecting abortion andreproductive rights in the Ohio
Constitution in 2023.
If passed, House Bill 324 wouldrequire Ohio's Department of
Health to establish if amedication has severe side
effects for greater than 5% ofrecipients, and then bar
pharmacies or retailers fromdistributing these medications.
According to the bill, severeadverse reactions include death,
(09:38):
hospitalization due to infectionor hemorrhage, organ failure or
sepsis.
While this bill does notdirectly mention muphapristone,
some supporters have directlyconnected their support to the
implications that HB 324 wouldhave on abortion pills.
The abortion drug Muphapristonehas been approved as safe and
effective by the FDA for 25years since September 2000.
(10:02):
Those who testified againstHouse Bill 324 noted flawed
research at the foundation ofthis bill's development, the
direct conflict with the OhioReproductive Freedom Amendment,
increased health care workload,and reduced access to medically
necessary medications.
This piece of legislation isrelevant to mental health and
(10:23):
helping professionals as itdirectly threatens the bodily
autonomy, mental well-being, andmedical equity of Ohioans.
HB 324 could cause harm byspreading misinformation about
approved medications, increasedliability risks for prescribers,
and decrease access to medicallynecessary treatment.
(10:46):
In the Ohio Nurses Association'stestimony, they succinctly
summarized why helpingprofessionals oppose House Bill
324 by stating it is a sweepingnon-clinical policy that would
undermine access to medicallynecessary treatment, overburden
ARPNs and nurses, and makepatients sicker.
(11:06):
For these reasons, werespectfully ask the committee
to reject HB 324.
The implications of House Bill324 directly conflict with
multiple guiding principles forcounselors, physicians, and
other medical professionals.
Since the review committee hasrecently conducted opponent
testimony, it is possible thatthe committee may reach a
(11:29):
decision soon.
This is an appropriate moment tocontact the Ohio House Health
Committee and share the impactsthat this piece of legislation
could have.
Request that the Ohio HouseHealth Committee reject House
Bill 324.
Thank you for your time inlearning more about the
government shutdown, disruptionsto benefits, and legislation
(11:50):
being considered in the OhioState Capitol.
The House Health Committee andthe Senate Health Committee are
each considering bills thatcould significantly impact
Ohio's health professions.
Advocates can contactrepresentatives on these
committees and request that theynot report favorably on House
Bill 324 and House Bill 162.
(12:12):
Given the challenges associatedwith the federal shutdown, it is
important for counselors andmental health providers to stay
informed on federal resolutions.
Once again, the Center forMedicaid Services has encouraged
physicians experiencing Medicarepayment delays or other issues
to contact their Center forEconomic Services.
(12:33):
Their contact information, alongwith additional resources and
information, can be found intoday's episode's show notes.
I hope that with this time wehave started to bridge the gap
between your clinical couch andthe halls of our capitals.
Don't forget to subscribe formonthly updates.
If you have any questions, wantto get involved, or have
(12:53):
additional information, connectwith us through our social media
or in the link in our shownotes.
SPEAKER_00 (12:59):
That's it for this edition of Couch to Capital,
brought to you by the OhioCounseling Association and Ohio
Counseling Conversations.
In the meantime, stay tuned,stay engaged, and keep
advocating for the future ofcounsel in Ohio.
Because what happens at theCapitol doesn't stay at the
Capitol, it impacts everycounseling conversation.
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