Trumball News

On May 16, 2024, the House Finance Committee initiated hearings on House Bill 434, a proposed legislation to establish the Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Accelerator Pilot Program. The announcement was made by the bill's sponsor, State Rep. Mike Loychik (R-Bazetta).

Traumatic brain injuries vary in severity from mild concussions to life-threatening brain bleeds and blood clots. In 2017, Ohio residents incurred $6 billion in medical expenses and lost wages due to traumatic brain injury. Current treatments are lengthy and expensive, with symptoms proving challenging to manage.

State Rep. Mike Loychik stated, “The Ohio Department of Health has found that one in four Ohioans have experienced at least one traumatic brain injury in their lifetime; nearly 2 million people.” He added that the establishment of this pilot program would position Ohio prominently on the national stage for its efforts to advance traumatic brain injury research.

The proposed legislation plans to allocate $10 million from the General Revenue Fund to support the pilot program. The Brain Injury Research Foundation will be tasked with distributing the research grants. The entities spearheading the research include The Ohio State University, The University of Toledo, The University of Cincinnati, and InfinixBio.

Moreover, the bill proposes investment in pharmaceutical treatments for these injuries. It is projected that for every dollar spent on researching these drugs, there will be an economic benefit of four to nine dollars for Ohioans through shorter hospital stays, reduced medical costs, and increased productivity.

House Bill 434 awaits further deliberation by the House Finance Committee. To effectively provide support for Ohioans with traumatic brain injuries, a companion bill is expected to be introduced soon in the Ohio Senate.