February 2026 Provider Update

Mark your calendar for the virtual 2026 BWC Medical & Health Symposium (MHS26). This year’s theme, “Approaches to Integrated Care in Occupational Health,” focuses on how analytics, innovative care models, and effective service provider partnerships can strengthen integrated care systems. Expect expert-led sessions, networking opportunities, and free continuing education credits for health-care and legal professionals. 

Call for Speakers – Deadline Feb. 6 We’re seeking proposals from health-care providers, researchers, educators, and industry experts on topics such as: 

• Ethics in clinical and occupational practice 
• Technology and innovation in medicine 
• Legal considerations in occupational health 
• Health care information administration 
• Data analytics and decision-support tools 
• Recovery, rehabilitation, and return-to-work strategies 
• Emerging trends and challenges in occupational health 

Selected speakers will be notified by March 15. Proposals must be research-based and free of commercial interest. 

Want to stay in the loop for all things MHS26? Join our mailing list!  

Effective Feb. 1, 2026, changes to our outpatient medication formulary are in effect. This summary provides an overview of selected changes introduced.  For a complete and detailed listing of all modifications, including applicable quantity limits, please refer to the Appendix of the Ohio Administrative Code, Section 4123621.3 (PDF).

Our Pharmacy and Therapeutics committee recommended these changes. This committee is a diverse group of pharmacists and prescribing physicians who advise us on appropriate prescriptions and authorization of medicines.  

Added medications with reimbursement restrictions  

• Esomeprazole 20 MG, 40 mg capsules: Reimbursement is only permitted for treatment of an allowed condition that involves a gastrointestinal disorder such as ulcer or gastrointestinal esophageal reflux disease (GERD) or to prevent gastrointestinal bleeding during concurrent non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), anticoagulant, or antiplatelet drug therapy. Reimbursement is limited to 2 doses per day. 

• Suzetrigine (Journavx®) 50 mg tablets: Will not be reimbursed for more than 30 tablets without prior authorization. Prior authorization will only be considered for a period of acute care.   

Coverage criteria changes   

• Baclofen tablets: After 90 days of use, may be considered for reimbursement upon submission of a prior authorization request that reflects use for an allowed condition in the claim.  

• Insulin glargine-yfgn (Semglee®) is now the preferred insulin glargine product. 

• Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors and Anticoagulants (Coumarin, Heparins, and Heparinoid-Like Agents): After 30 days of use, may be considered for reimbursement upon submission of a prior authorization request that reflects use for an allowed condition in the claim.  

Questions   

If you have questions about these medication changes or our pharmacy program, call  BWC’s Pharmacy team at 1-877-543-6446 or email Pharmacy.benefits@bwc.ohio.gov.  

BWC’s Board of Directors recently approved updates to the Hospital Inpatient Fee Schedule rule, effective Feb. 1, 2026.  The Hospital Inpatient Fee Schedule is adopting the 2026 Medicare inpatient services rule update, including the assigned market basket increase of 2.6% and the quality and value-related program adjustments. The associated hospital inpatient payment adjustment factor will be updated to 113%. 

The current 2025 fee schedules, as well as the 2026 proposed fee schedules, can be found on the Find a fee schedule page on BWC’s website.

Join us Wednesday, February 25, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. for our next Virtual Provider Forum: Fee Schedule 2026 – Key Changes and Provider Impact. This is a must-attend event for anyone involved in Ohio workers’ compensation.

In this one-hour lunch and learn:

• Sharina Armstrong, Director of Policy, Reimbursement and Coding, and her team of Fee Schedule Managers will review the latest changes to the fee schedule.
• Engage directly with our experts during a live Q&A and online chat — get your questions answered in real time.

Engage directly with our experts during a live Q&A and online chat — get your questions answered in real time. 

Register now: Virtual Provider Forum - Feb. 25 | Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation

Questions? Email us at BWCProviderEngagement@bwc.ohio.gov 

We look forward to having you join us! 

Join us March 11–13, 2026, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center for the Ohio Safety Congress & Expo® — the nation’s largest free safety and health event. Registration is open now.  

Good news for nurses: select in-person sessions offer continuing education (CE) credits for Nursing (RN, LPN).  

Visit  www.OhioSafetyCongress.com to register, find CE-eligible sessions, and build your schedule.  

Our online provider portal, called My Provider Info, now includes provider letters sent out systematically from our BWC enrollment system. Letters dated November 2024 through today are now archived online. Letters are mailed overnight after the enrollment record is created or updates are completed.    

You can view copies of letters BWC have sent instantly. Simply log into your online account and scroll to the blue banner titled ‘Correspondence’ to access your documents. If you need to create an online account or need assistance visit OHID for BWC customers. Older letters will be added soon.