Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Pediatric Care Ppec topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Parents and providers urge committee to approve PPEC centers in House Bill 141
Summary
Parents, clinicians and Easterseals Redwood testified in support of HB 141 to establish prescribed pediatric extended care centers (PPECs) in Ohio, saying the centers let medically complex children receive nursing, therapies and inclusive early education while reducing hospitalizations and letting parents work. Supporters asked for bill language clarifications on eligibility, staffing and inclusion.
Parents, clinicians and providers told the House Health Committee that House Bill 141 would establish a Medicaid‑funded option — prescribed pediatric extended care centers (PPECs) — to serve children with complex medical needs in licensed childcare settings.
Ben Studer, who opened proponent testimony, framed the issue personally: “By being here today, you're letting families of Ohio with special needs and medically complex children know that you hear them, you see them, and you're willing to help them,” he said, describing the severe care needs of his son and the difficulty the family faced gaining Medicaid support.
Parents described moving across the river to access Easterseals Redwood in Kentucky because Ohio lacks comparable licensed medical childcare. Caitlin O'Neil testified that Easterseals Redwood provided therapies, nursing and an inclusive peer environment that changed her daughter's outcomes. Lauren Wilson said specialized nursing and on‑site physical, occupational and speech therapies allowed her medically complex child to thrive and her family to continue working.
Pam Green, president and CEO of Easterseals Redwood, said the affiliate serves thousands of families in southwest Ohio and northern Kentucky and described PPECs as a cost‑effective alternative to avoidable hospital stays. “PPEC is a Medicaid funded service that pays for skilled nursing and therapeutic support in an early education setting,” she told the committee, and added that the cost of PPEC care (the center estimates about $300 per child per day) can be far less than NICU or avoidable inpatient days.
Clinical witnesses and advocates — including Dr. Brianne Butts of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, representatives of disability‑rights organizations, and policy groups — argued PPECs exist in other states and can reduce family financial strain, improve child development and ease workforce disruptions for parents. Dr. Butts summarized hospital data, saying that children with medical complexity at Cincinnati Children’s had nearly 4,000 avoidable inpatient days in 2022, costing an estimated $22.5 million.
Witnesses discussed operational details the committee asked about: eligibility, the role of existing waivers, whether centers should prioritize working parents, how to preserve inclusive placements for typically developing children, and staffing ratios for medically fragile children. Disability advocates urged amendments to ensure PPECs are defined as childcare centers and that the program preserves inclusion rather than creating separate segregated facilities.
The hearing concluded after multiple proponent testimonies; the committee left written testimony on members’ iPads and took a brief recess before proceeding to other agenda items.
