Healthcare Coverage Reform Initiative Home

After working through a comprehensive process for the past year, the SCI team has issued a report containing recommendations to Governor Strickland and the General Assembly about how Ohio should move forward to cover its uninsured residents. A link to the report is found below.

Ohio has been one of 14 states to participate in the Coverage Institute sponsored by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s State Coverage Initiatives (SCI) program. The SCI team worked diligently to uncover the facts about Ohio’s uninsured residents, Ohio’s health insurance programs and markets, and the gaps in the current system that cause many Ohioans to be uninsured.

The SCI team also worked closely with the Healthcare Coverage Initiative Advisory Committee, appointed by Governor Strickland, to develop a comprehensive set of recommendations to cover Ohio’s uninsured residents. The SCI team’s recommendations are based on the best available information and the diverse views of those impacted by Ohio’s health care and coverage systems.

Recommendations include:

• Requiring employers to establish §125 Plans
• Reinsurance for individuals and small businesses
• Extending group coverage to dependents up to age 29
• Premium assistance for low income workers
• Enrolling more Ohioans in Medicaid
• Expanding Ohio’s Medicaid to 200% FPL for parents
• Allowing non-Medicaid eligible adults to enroll in Medicaid managed care plans
• Reforms to the individual health insurance market

The recommendations were organized to reflect the potential for sequential or partial implementation. Some recommendations may be more readily agreed upon and achieved in the context of limited resources. Other recommendations may be more challenging in terms of the cost and impact. Therefore, implementation of reforms should consider available resources in light of Ohio’s budget situation and the need to mitigate the potential for market disruptions.

Please click here for the executive summary. Click here to view the full report.

Click on the respective link below to view each of the appendices:

Appendix A- Chart , Uninsured Ohioans by Income, Health and Work Status (2007 Expected Estimates)
Appendix B- Chart Uninsured Ohio by Income, Health and Work Status (2004 Firm Size Breakouts, 2007 Expected Estimates)
Appendix C- Ohio’s Fact Pack on the Uninsured (October 1, 2007)
Appendix D- Lewis and Ellis Actuarial Consultants, “ Ohio Healthcare Coverage Reform Initiative: Actuarial and Economic Modeling of Health Coverage Reforms" ( June 2008)
Appendix E- McAlearny, Demby and Jamieson, “Report to the Ohio Department of Insurance: Assessing the impact of SCI Policy options on Ohio’s Economy, business climate, labor and uninsured” (2008)
Appendix F- Chart, Mandates and Other Insurance Reforms In Ohio (July 2007)
Appendix G- Ohio’s Basic and Standard Health Insurance Plans for Open Enrollment
Appendix H- Chart of Cost and Coverage Estimates for SCI Team Reforms With and Without an Individual Mandate
Appendix I- Minutes of the Healthcare Coverage Initiative Advisory Committee
Appendix J- Healthcare Coverage Initiative - Benefits Team Report