The Buckeye Institute has been at the forefront of offering commonsense public policy solutions to policymakers in Ohio and Washington DC, both publicly and behind-the-scenes privately, to ensure Americans fight and recover from the pandemic.

After releasing “Policy Solutions for the Pandemic: How Ohio Can Fight the Impact of Coronavirus,” Buckeye issued multiple additional policy memos outlining implementable solutions to strengthen our healthcare system and provide for families and businesses facing unexpected economic hardship. Buckeye also quickly identified nearly $3 Billion of unnecessary spending in Ohio’s bloated state budget that could be used to fight against the COVID-19 and its aftermath.

Buckeye’s innovative ideas led to lifting government restrictions on medical professionals, cutting needless spending, redirecting money to help fight COVID-19, and helping small businesses weather the crisis. Ohio has adopted many of Buckeye’s recommendations, including:

• Increased telehealth access and monitoring;
• Extended universal recognition of out-of-state medical licenses to doctors and physician assistants;
• Permitted pharmacists to test for COVID-19;
• Enlisted medical and nursing students to support doctors and nurses fighting COVID-19;
• Eliminated unnecessary budget commitments;
• Instituted a hiring freeze in state government; and
• Allowed establishments with an existing liquor permit to sell and deliver alcohol on carryout menus.

A comprehensive list of The Buckeye Institute’s policy solutions can be found here.