Governor Strickland’s Health Care Panel Releases Draft Report

The State Coverage Initiative (SCI) team, which Gov. has released a draft report to a larger advisory panel comprised of health care providers, advocates, insurers, agency officials, lawmakers, and business groups. The proposals are designed to achieve the governor’s goal of providing coverage to 500,000 more Ohioans by 2011

The draft report envisions boosting Medicaid eligibility limits for parents from the current 90% of the federal poverty level to either 150% FPL, to cover an estimated 83,000 Ohioans, or 200% FPL to add 135,000 beneficiaries. Adults below 100% FPL that aren’t eligible for the benefit should be allowed to obtain coverage, with state subsidies, through Medicaid managed care organizations. The SCI team also proposed requiring Ohioans to purchase private insurance, while offering subsidies for lower-income individuals and exempting those who can’t afford it. 

The draft also recommends the state:

• Establish a reinsurance program to fund coverage for uninsured individuals and uninsured workers at small businesses.

• Extend coverage for dependents in group health insurance policies up to the age of 29.

• Provide subsidies to workers to help them take up employer-sponsored coverage.

• Create a quasi-public/private organization – a connector – controlled by a board to help to implement coverage expansion programs and assist Ohioans to enroll in available health plans.

• Require Ohio employers to adopt Section 125 premium-only plans to allow employees at companies not offering coverage to purchase insurance using pre-tax dollars.

• Prohibit insurers from excluding coverage for specific health conditions permanently on a person-by-person basis via a rider or other addendum to the policy.

The report advises that funding for the health care initiatives should be found within the state’s existing budget and that if additional revenue is required; health coverage reform proposals should be paid for with broad-based funding from those involved in the health coverage system. After additional review and comment, a final report will be released in the next few weeks.