Insured Ohioans Pay High Health Care Costs

Most of the 2.2 million Ohioans under the age of 65 that pay high health care costs are insured, according to a recent study that focused on medical expenses for covered families. The non-profit consumer health group Families USA found that about 86% of the Ohioans that will spend more than 10% of their pre-tax family income on health care in 2008 carry insurance.

The Washington D.C.-based group also said 473,000 Ohioans – more than four out of five that spend more than 25% of their pre-tax income on health care costs in the state – also have medical insurance. The increasing cost of health insurance premiums is the largest of several factors contributing to the rising burden of families’ health care expenditures, the study says. To view the study go to: http://www.familiesusa.org/assets/pdfs/too-great-a-burden/ohio.pdf 

U.S. Sen. George Voinovich (R-Cleveland) was quoted in a Families USA news release stating that years of years of federal inaction on the health care issue was a problem. He also mentioned his Health Partnership Act (HPA) – legislation that would allow states and local governments to experiment with different health care reform options. Under the bill, Congress would authorize grants to individual states, groups of states, or portions of states to carry out any of a broad range of strategies to increase health care coverage. The HPA is supported by the AMCNO.