COLUMBUS – Ohio Department of Insurance Director Jillian Froment has 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.
Crawford County is one of the counties that is affected.
Medical Mutual of Ohio will provide coverage in Crawford County, as well as in Knox, Hocking, and Hancock counties.
“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,” said Steffany Larkins, Medical Mutual of Ohio Executive Vice President and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer.
Buckeye Health Plan, CareSource, Molina Health Care of Ohio and Paramount Health Care also 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.
The 19 counties affected in: 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.
“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.”
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.
Other companies providing coverage include:
Buckeye Health Plan: Harrison, Logan, and Van Wert
CareSource: Guernsey, Jackson, Lawrence, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, and Vinton
Molina Health Care of Ohio: Coshocton, Hancock, and Holmes
Paramount Health Care: Williams and Wyandot
