Governor DeWine Announces Departure of Ohio Department of Behavioral Health Director Cornyn

(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Governor Mike DeWine today announced that Ohio Department of Behavioral Health Director LeeAnne Cornyn informed him that she will leave her position, effective October 8, 2025.

“I want to thank Director Cornyn for her advocacy on behalf of people with mental health and substance use disorders,” said Governor DeWine. “LeeAnne has been a champion for some of our most vulnerable citizens and has been tireless in advocating for our work building out a system of care across the state.”

Cornyn was appointed in December 2023 to serve as Director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, now known as the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health. Prior to her appointment, Cornyn served as Governor DeWine’s Deputy Chief of Staff where her responsibilities included oversight of the health, mental health, human services, education, and children’s issues policy portfolio.  Cornyn also served as the Director of Cabinet Affairs, where she acted as a liaison between the Governor and his 26 state agency directors.   She was the first Director of Children’s Initiatives, a position Governor DeWine created minutes after being sworn in as governor.

Until a new director is named, Assistant Director Tia Marcel Moretti will serve as interim director.

Mental Illness Awareness Week: October 5-11, 2025

Did you know the first full week of October is Mental Illness Awareness Week? This was established by Congress in 1990 after recognizing the need to address mental health challenges. Since then communities across the nation come together annually to raise awareness, fight stigma, and support mental health.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has created a toolkit based on the theme Building Community: Supporting Mental Well-being Together that highlights the power of meaningful connections, grassroots advocacy, and local action to strengthen mental health support nationwide. You can find the toolkit here.

World Mental Health Day is October 10th.

During Mental Illness Awareness Week is World Mental Health Day. This day is specifically to raise awareness and advocate for mental health care worldwide. It aims to bring communities together to challenge the stigma around mental health and break the silence connected to it. It is a day to share stories as a way to advocate for change. We hope you'll share your stories!

View the toolkit here!

Experts say Vertically Integrated Insurers, Providers may be able to Skirt Medical Loss Ratio Rules

Insurers that own medical clinics may be able to use these relationships to game medical loss ratio requirements, according to a new analysis. Health Affairs reported that a recent study found that across several states in 2023 there was a significant increase in payments that were not related to specific claims, particularly in Medicare Advantage (MA).  Experts view this as a positive as it indicates that value-based care models are making an impact and shifting payments away from traditional fee-for-service paradigms. However, they warned it could signal that vertically integrated companies are also leaning on these relationships to "weaken" the impact of MLR requirements. Under the Affordable Care Act, insurers are required to spend at least 80% of premium revenue on medical care in the individual and small group markets, and the ratio rises to 85% in large group coverage.  The paper, however, outlines a scenario where a vertically integrated insurer treats a patient at one of its in-house clinics, and then a patient covered by a different payer also visits that location for the same care. The provider charges a $300 cost for the services rendered to the outside payer. However, the integrated insurer pays the provider $500 for that service. That $200 does not account for enhancements to care or additional services, but makes progress toward the medical loss ratio despite the revenue remaining within the same overall company.

Ohio Minimum Wage Rising in January 2026

Ohio minimum wage workers will see a bump in their paychecks next year, as the state’s minimum wage increases to $11 per hour for non-tipped employees and $5.50 per hour for tipped workers.

The adjustment represents a 2.8% increase from current 2025 rates of $10.70 and $5.35, respectively. Unlike the federal minimum wage, which has remained at $7.25 per hour since 2009, Ohio’s minimum wage adjusts automatically each year based on the rate of inflation. A constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2006 mandates that Ohio’s minimum wage increases on Jan.1 each year by the rate of inflation. Along with the wage increase, the threshold determining which businesses must comply with Ohio’s minimum wage will also rise. Starting January 1, 2026, the state minimum wage will apply to businesses with annual gross receipts exceeding $405,000, up from the current $394,000 threshold.