Ohio Health Insurance Coverage – Know Your Options

The Commonwealth Fund Health Insurance Tracking Survey of U.S. Adults reports that a quarter of adults ages 19 to 64 (about 8.3 million) went without health insurance for some time last year. Another report for the state of Ohio found huge gaps in Ohio health insurance coverage. The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati’s Ohio Health Issues Poll (OHIP) reported that • More than 1 in 6 Ohio adults (18%) ages 18-64 did not have health insurance at the time of the poll
• Though nearly all Ohioans ages 65 and older (99%) are insured, up to 15.5% of the state’s residents are not covered
• Ohio adults with lower household incomes were more affected
• Young adults, the poor and the unhealthy report less understanding about coverage

These trends are disturbing as going without insurance is a big risk. Affordable Ohio individual health insurance coverage is available. Read on to know about your options.

Ohio Health Insurance – Many Types of Plans

Individuals can choose from various Ohio indemnity and managed care plans to cover their families. With an indemnity policy, you would have to pay upfront and your insurer pays later. Under managed care, health care providers offer plan network members with services at predetermined rates. Individual health insurance plans can be supplemented with dental, accident and critical illness plans. Types of Ohio health insurance plans available: • Ohio High Deductible Health Insurance (HDHP) plans: These are great options if you want low premiums and tax-exempt savings. A high deductible means a lower premium. One of the greatest benefits of having a HDHP is that you can pair it with a tax-advantaged Health Savings Account (HSA). The money you put into your HSA is tax-free and can be used to pay for qualified medical expenses. • Ohio group health insurance plans: If you are an employer, you can choose from a wide array of group health insurance policies to meet your corporate objectives. Plans are available for businesses of all sizes. You can even get your plan customized to meet your requirements. • Ohio short-term health insurance plans: A short-term health insurance plan helps you tide over a special situation or meet temporary needs. It is meant to provide coverage for people between jobs, those waiting for employer coverage to begin, young adults just out of school or not in a parent’s plan, and so on. Coverage starts immediately and the period ranges between one to eleven months. However, expenses for either the treatment or cost of medication for pre-existing conditions will mostly likely not be covered.

Get Professional Guidance to Understand Your Options

One of the main findings of the Ohio Health Insurance Poll of 2011 is that many people are relatively ignorant about what medical treatments are covered by their insurance. It’s important to understand your options and purchase an affordable Ohio individual health insurance plan that suits your needs. The best way to do so is to get in touch with a health insurance Ohio broker. An experienced and licensed agent can help you get valuable guidance to stay insured all the time - even when faced with job changes and other life-changing events.