OH Pulse – February 9, 2026

Feb 09, 2026

Ohio ACA enrollment drops sharply as enhanced tax credits expire
Roughly 120,000 fewer Ohioans enrolled in marketplace plans this year after enhanced subsidies ended, pushing premiums higher and leaving many middle-income residents uninsured for the first time. Safety-net leaders warn of increased ED reliance, rising uncompensated care, delayed preventive care, and worsening long-term public health outcomes—including untreated chronic disease and cancer progression. MetroHealth reports charity care costs have already doubled since 2022.
cleveland.com

MetroHealth pulls out of the red, ends 2025 near break-even
After facing a dangerous deficit driven by soaring charity care, MetroHealth executed aggressive cost cuts, efficiency gains, expanded evening hours, and better enrollment of patients into coverage—landing close to or slightly better than budget for 2025. CEO Dr. Christine Alexander-Rager called the turnaround “the right decisions” but cautioned that uncompensated care is still expected to climb. She also sharply criticized Cleveland Clinic’s proposed third Level 1 trauma center as “reckless.”
headtopics.com / cleveland.com summary

OSU Wexner readies largest U.S. patient move of 2026
On February 22, Ohio State Wexner Medical Center will transfer ~400 patients indoors into its new 26-story, 820-bed University Hospital tower—the biggest single-day facility move in the country this year. The $2 billion project adds 150+ cancer beds, 234 ICU beds, dedicated maternity floors, and patient-facing tech (75-inch TVs, Care.ai cameras). Move planners created “patient transport highways” with first-aid stations; one patient transfers every 53 seconds during the eight-hour window.
Becker’s Hospital Review

UToledo Health taps pediatrician-executive Daniel Frattarelli as Chief Physician Executive
Dr. Daniel A. Frattarelli, former president of Beaumont Medical Group (now Corewell Health), joins University of Toledo Physicians Feb. 9 to lead nearly 400 physicians and APPs. He brings deep experience in value-based care, physician compensation redesign, practice unification, and outcomes improvement. Frattarelli will also serve as associate dean of clinical affairs and maintain a pediatric practice.
UToledo News

Sources curated from public reporting 2/2–2/8/26
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