Who is Really to Blame for Rising Ohio Health Insurance Premiums?

It has recently become apparent that those who have Ohio Health Insurance are struggling when it comes to meeting the payment requirements for prescription drugs. The cost has gone up and health insurance companies would lead the consumer to believe that this increase has been dealt primarily by health insurers. But is this really the case?

Pharmaceutical companies have recently been producing very expensive, specialty drugs that treat serious illnesses. These drugs can cost even as much as $50,000 or more. Those who need these drugs often turn to their employers or their Ohio health insurance to assist them in covering the extreme costs. The problem is however, that costs keep rising with more drugs always entering the market. Providers of health insurance in Ohio and even employers have begun shifting some of the cost to the individual by necessity. So in reality the cost has become too great even for insurers and employers. This is why individuals are now facing higher prescription drug co-pays based on prescription tiers.

Prescription tiers keep the rate of insurance fair for those who do not have high prescription costs. By placing people in different tiers the insurers and employers are requiring a higher co-payment for someone who has many medical needs, while someone with fewer needs will contribute a lower co-pay. For example: tier one would likely include coverage for generic drugs with a minimum co-payment, tier two would include brand-name prescriptions with a higher co-payment (around $30), tier three would have coverage for a non-preferred brand-name drug for a slightly higher co-payment, and finally tier four would include specialty drugs for around $150 co-payments and a 10-30% co-insurance rate.

So the real issue is not with the employer or even the insurance company, the real issue is with the pharmaceutical companies that continue to charge very high rates on prescription drugs. As was stated before, this will only continue to be a problem for those with Ohio Health Insurance since the prices continue to rise as new drugs appear on the market. Politicians are now getting involved by trying to put a cap on what can be charged for prescriptions through insurance companies. But this will still leave the big problem unanswered; how do we decrease the initial cost from the drug companies? As long as the high costs are being charged the health insurance Ohio companies will have to compensate by increasing premium costs across the board. Thus this is a non-solution.

With prices so high it is very likely that even those who need the medication most will go without it. This tragedy should be addressed by the pharmaceutical companies who should be doing all they can to keep costs affordable for those who most need the drugs they offer.