Ohio: bill on medical free speech
Date postedJanuary 8, 2025
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine vetoed a provision in House Bill 315 that would have prohibited state health boards from disciplining healthcare professionals for expressing medical opinions differing from official health authorities. DeWine expressed concerns that this measure could undermine the state's ability to regulate medical misconduct and potentially endanger patient health. He emphasized that licensing boards are essential for protecting the public from harmful medical practices and that the provision could have provided a "legal shield" for substandard care under the guise of differing medical opinions.