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Access to Health Insurance Restored in All Ohio Counties
Insurance Department and CareSource announce Paulding
County will have health insurance coverage for 2018
Special to The Truth
Ohio Department of Insurance Director Jillian Froment last
week joined CareSource to announce Paulding County will now
have health insurance coverage on the federal exchange in
2018. Following announcements made earlier this summer by
other carriers, Ohioans in 20 Ohio counties faced the
potential of not having access to health insurance. On July
31, the department joined five insurers, including
CareSource, to announce coverage options in the other 19
counties.
"Working through this challenge has been a priority for the
department and our staff in recent weeks and I´m proud of
the collaborative approach insurers have been willing to
take so that we could come together and solve this problem,"
Froment said. "There is a lot of uncertainty facing
consumers when it comes to health insurance and these
announcements will provide important relief."
In the coming weeks the department will work with insurers
to finalize the products and rates that will be available on
the exchange in 2018. The department´s review of those
filings will be completed by early September and insurers
must sign contracts with the federal government by late
September to sell coverage on the federal exchange.
Including Paulding County, the 20 counties where coverage
has been restored are: Coshocton, Crawford, Guernsey,
Hancock, Harrison, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Knox, Lawrence,
Logan, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Paulding, Perry, Van Wert,
Vinton, Williams and Wyandot. More than 11,000 Ohioans
purchase coverage through the health care exchange in those
counties.
"Making sure coverage is available has been our goal through
this process, but this is a temporary solution and one that
only applies to 2018. Beyond that, insurers are still
looking for predictability in the health insurance market,"
Froment added. "Now is the time for Congress to work on
reforms that will strengthen our health insurance markets in
ways that improve access and affordability."
Consumers with questions can contact the Ohio Department of
Insurance at 1-800-686-1526.
STATEMENT FROM CARESOURCE
"The Marketplace provides vital health care coverage to more
than 10.3 million Americans and we want to be a resource for
consumers left without options. Our decision to offer
coverage in the bare counties speaks to our mission and
commitment to the Marketplace and serving those who are in
need of health care coverage."
Pamela Morris, President & CEO of CareSource
COMPANY COVERAGE BREAKDOWN OF PREVIOUSLY BARE COUNTIES
Buckeye Health Plan: Harrison, Logan, and Van Wert
CareSource: Guernsey, Jackson, Lawrence, Morgan, Muskingum,
Noble, Paulding, 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 |
