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Access to Health Insurance Restored in 19 Ohio Counties
Insurance Department and Five Health Insurers Announce Plan
to Restore Health Insurance Coverage for 2018
Ohio Department of Insurance Director Jillian Froment this
week joined five major Ohio health care insurers to announce
that health insurance options have been restored on the
federal exchange in 19 Ohio counties following the
withdrawal of other insurers earlier this year. Buckeye
Health Plan, CareSource, Medical Mutual of Ohio, Molina
Health Care of Ohio and Paramount Health Care are helping
ensure coverage is available in these counties on the
exchange in 2018. Announcements made earlier this year
would have left Ohioans in 20 Ohio counties without access
to health insurance. The department is working to restore
coverage to the 20th county before insurers must enter
contracts with the federal government in late September.
"Knowing 20 counties might not have access to health
insurance on the exchange in 2018, our team went to work
with the companies to find a way through the challenge, and
together we have identified a solution," Froment said.
"Ohio has long had a strong insurance system and once again
our insurers stepped up at an important time for thousands
of Ohioans, taking unprecedented action to provide access to
health insurance for Ohioans who otherwise were without
options."
The 19 counties are: Coshocton, Crawford, Guernsey, Hancock,
Harrison, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Knox, Lawrence, Logan,
Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Van Wert, Vinton, Williams
and Wyandot. Approximately 11,000 Ohioans purchase coverage
through the health care exchange in those counties.
In light of this announcement, insurers are still in the
process of finalizing filings at the Department of
Insurance, including the types of plans that will be sold in
these areas and the rates that will be charged. The
department´s review must be completed later this summer and
insurers must sign contracts with the federal government by
late September to sell coverage on the federal exchange.
The department continues to look at coverage options in
Paulding County where no insurer is presently planning to
sell an exchange product in 2018.
"There is more work to do as we try to secure coverage
options in Paulding County while also making sure this plan
can be finalized in the fall," Froment added. "We will
continue working with the industry, but those efforts are
heavily dependent on market stability and clarity from
Washington. We encourage Congress to work on ways to
stabilize our health insurance markets."
Consumers with questions can contact the Ohio Department of
Insurance at 1-800-686-1526.
COMPANY COVERAGE BREAKDOWN BY COUNTY
Buckeye Health Plan: Harrison, Logan, and Van Wert
CareSource: Guernsey, Jackson, Lawrence, Morgan, Muskingum,
Noble, Perry, and Vinton
Medical Mutual of Ohio: Crawford, Knox, Hocking, and
Hancock
Molina Health Care of Ohio: Coshocton, Hancock, and Holmes
Paramount Health Care: Williams and Wyandot
STATEMENTS FROM OHIO HEALTH INSURERS
"We are pleased to expand Ambetter from Buckeye Health Plan
from 9 to 27 Ohio counties in 2018. Working in partnership
with the state to include three of the bare counties helps
ensure that Ohio residents will continue to have access to
high-quality, comprehensive health care."
Bruce Hill
Buckeye Health Plan President & CEO
"At CareSource, we are proud to be a part of this
collaboration to maintain health care options for thousands
of working Ohioans. Our commitment to the Marketplace has
been unchanged from the very beginning. As a result of our
28-year history of serving uninsured populations, we see
firsthand the value affordable health care coverage offers
to families in Ohio."
Pamela Morris
CareSource President & CEO
"We´re fortunate to be able to play a part in the solution,
but it shouldn´t be overlooked that the willingness of local
providers to come to the table is what allowed us to get to
this point."
Steffany Larkins
Medical Mutual of Ohio Executive Vice President and Chief
Sales and Marketing Officer
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