On August 24, Ohio Department of Insurance Director Jillian Froment 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,” Director 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,” Director 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 by calling 800.686.1526.