Ctamlouis Health

The health insurance is a family affair; it analyzes the effects uninsured can have on health, finance and general welfare of the family. It also examines the health of uninsured children and pregnant women to see if they receive less care and suffer worse health outcomes than those who are insured. May health the most important type of insurance for anyone to proceed. In a country where medicine is not socialization, good health insurance can be the key to good health care.

Individual covered entities can evaluate their own situation and determine the best way to implement addressable specifications. Health can lead to a safety net for you and your entire family. A good example is health insurance quotes in Ohio, Kentucky and Texas are outrageous, in this uncertain world of man and natural disasters; we all need a supply of basic security.

Knowledge is really the key when it comes to buying cheap auto insurance in Austin, Texas. Although many insurance companies are competing for the business of each and every driver on the road in the Lone Star State, each company can offer the same coverage at a reasonable price. The best way to find the right insurance company for you is to contact a few reputable companies which appear to request a quote.

When someone requests a quote in search of cheap car insurance, they must be prepared to provide certain details. The first is their age and the type of vehicle they drive. In addition, some insurance companies ask you to the individual’s own views on their driving record. Do not be honest about this will only cause the summons so unbalanced. After all, an estimate is just that, an estimate of future costs. The problems driving record will be shown before the policy is taken anyway, it is better to be ahead.

Health insurance is a complicated. It is designed this way so that insurers are protected against excessive charges by private doctors and restrict patient benefits. Health insurance is not a right, and the supplier of the medical community is not a charity. Have you ever had trouble paying your uninsured “pocket” as the costs of deductibles and coinsurance?

Health prices are something that most Americans must go through a time of their lives. The cycle can be just a painful as buying your first home. Cheap health insurance and prescription, either individually or in groups provided cover, is to help some sections, but this remains a minority phenomenon in the overall scheme. Get the cheapest health insurance for families with good coverage has become very difficult to find. You can now get free online quotes health insurance, health insurance and affordable choice.

Once you’re done comparing health insurance quotes and plans and you’ve settled on employer-based health insurance, it’s good to keep in mind the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) administers a number of laws that cover these health insurance plans.

Here is a list of some of the laws affecting health insurance :

1) The Employee Retirement Income Security Act – This law protects people in retirement, health and other benefit plans through private employers by providing rights to information and a grievance and appeals process for private employer health insurance participants.

2) The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act – This law only applies to special instances, but if you qualify as a former employee, retiree, spouse or dependent child you can purchase a temporary continuation of health insurance at group rates.

3) The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act – This law applies to working Americans and families with preexisting medical conditions. Through this act there is a guarantee of individual health insurance policies for eligible people and it prohibits discrimination in health care coverage.

4) The Newborns’ and Mothers’ Health Protection Act – Just as it sounds, this law offers rules on minimum health insurance coverage on how long the mother and child can stay in the hospital after childbirth.

5) Mental Health Parity Act – This law ensures mental health is given as much emphasis as physical health by requiring annual, or lifetime, limits on mental health benefits to be no lower than limits for medical and surgical benefits provided by a group health insurance plan.

6) Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act – Breast cancer is a frightening diagnosis and treatment runs a wide range of intensity and invasiveness. This law protects breast cancer patients who want to have a breast reconstruction after a mastectomy.

When you are part of an employer – based health insurance plan the Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration is a great source of information on subjects such as your rights to information on how your plan works, how to quality benefits available in your plan and how to make claims on your health insurance plan.

Remember EBSA administers these laws that help protect your health insurance when you lose coverage, change jobs or if you suffer from certain special medical conditions. Also remember when choosing employer-based plans to carefully compare your health insurance options to make sure your plan works best for you and your family’s medical needs.

Find out more about EBSA on the web at -www. dol. gov/ebsa.

Health savings accounts (HSAs) are wildly popular.   Since their introduction in 2004, approximately 2. 5 million Americans have enrolled in these so-called consumer-driven health plans.   But, alas, HSA plans are not for everyone.
Here are some pointers to help you consider whether an HSA will benefit you and your family.

1. An HSA plan can cut healthcare costs by an average of 40% for many people.
Nevertheless, some people will not realize any net savings. Those most likely to realize significant savings are people who pay all of their own health insurance premiums, such as the self-employed, who are relatively healthy with few medical expenses.

2. health savings plan restores freedom of choice.
An HSA plan puts individual consumers back in control of their own health care. This also means that each individual must be more responsible for his or her own health care decisions. This approach of self-reliance is not always popular with or appropriate for everyone, especially those who have become comfortable with HMO-type “co-pay” plans.

3. Health savings accounts reduce income taxes.
Every dollar contributed into your HSA account is deducted from your taxable income in the same manner as contributions into a traditional IRA account–regardless of whether you spend it or just save it.   Interest and investment earnings in a HSA accumulate tax-deferred, just like a traditional IRA. Unlike an IRA, withdrawals are tax-FREE when used to pay qualifying medical expenses.   In many situations, new account holders are able to almost fully fund their HSA with money saved on premiums from a prior, higher priced plan.   By stashing all or most of those savings into an HSA, the account holder realizes instant, additional savings in the form of reduced taxes.

4. You must have a properly qualified high health insurance policy in place first before
you can open a health savings account. One of the biggest misconceptions about HSA plans is that any insurance policy with a high deductible will qualify the policyholder to establish an HSA account. IRS regulations, however, are quite specific.   Not just any policy with a so-called “high deductible” will suffice.   It is important to be certain that you are insured under a properly qualified policy.   Your best bet is to work with a qualified and duly licensed health insurance broker who is experienced in marketing properly qualified HSA plans.

5. You must be insurable in order to qualify for the HSA-qualified health insurance policy.
Because most people do not have a properly qualified high deductible insurance policy, they will need to switch insurance plans in order to become HSA-eligible. Unless coverage is being offered under small group reform laws (generally groups with 2-49 employees), the new high deductible policy will be individually underwritten by an insurance company.   This means that some “pre-existing” conditions may not be fully covered.   Alternatively, some companies may opt to cover certain “pre-existing” conditions in exchange for slightly higher premiums. Unfortunately, some health conditions simply render an individual uninsurable (examples: diabetes, chron’s disease, heart attack, etc. ).   Underwriting requirements vary by state, which is another reason to rely on an experienced health plan broker.
You should not switch to a HSA plan when the management of existing medical expenses is more important than saving up-front medical insurance premiums. Do not change health plans: in the middle of ongoing medical treatments; after a major health issue has been diagnosed; or if any family member is pregnant.
Generally, it is relatively hassle-free to qualify, i. e. no medical exams, etc. Most insurance companies offering HSA coverage will issue based on your application answers, perhaps accompanied by a follow-up telephone interview. In some cases, medical records may be requested, and companies always reserve the right to order a paramed exam.

6. Although HSA insurance premiums are low, they are not always as low as you might expect.
This happens for one main reason. Simply stated, the underlying insurance policy is just that? health insurance policy.   Although it has a “high” deductible, as required by law, the insurance company still must compensate for the risk it is assuming over the deductible amount, which it does by charging premiums.   Many companies offer policies with deductible?that all family members contribute toward.   With those plans, it is not uncommon for premiums for a 5000 family deductible with 100% coverage after the deductible to be comparable to a 2500 “per person” deductible plan with 80/20 coverage after the deductible.
Lower premiums represent just one element of the lower net cost achieved with an HSA plan.   The low net cost of an HSA plan is achieved after factoring in the benefits of lower taxes, made possible by the tax-deductible contribution to the HSA account. Thus, if obtaining the lowest possible gross premium is your main concern, you may wish to consider a high deductible, non-HSA policy, especially if you do not see the benefit to contributing to a tax-deductible savings account.

7. An HSA offers your best chance to keep a lid on health insurance rate increases.
Make no mistake-you will have rate increases with your HSA insurance policy. Because an HSA qualified policy is still a health insurance policy at heart, there is no logical reason to presuppose that an HSA policy would be immune to rate increases required by an insurer to keep paying claims and stay in business. But what you can expect is that the actual dollar amount of any future rate increases will be substantially lower compared to traditional health insurance plans (regular PPO and HMO plans).   This is true because insurers base increases on percentages, and the same percentage of a lower base premium results in a lower dollar increase. It’s not a perfect solution-but it is the most cost-efficient solution for many qualified people.

During the past 10 years there has been a dramatic upturn in Obesity and overweight adults in America and as you can imagine it has had a serious cost impact on the U. S. healthcare system. While many consumers who are denied health insurance coverage for being overweight or rated with a “fat tax” may feel that they are being jilted by the insurance underwriting system. Fair or not treatment for health issues associated with overweight and obese individuals does have significant reprocussions on the economy and the overall cost of healthcare.

The underwriters use a system for determining your height and weight calculations to determine acceptable ranges. The correlation of the two defines a number called the BMI or ” body mass index” and gives the underwriters an estimate of bodyfat. According to the department of human health services a BMI of 30 is considered obese and 25 to 29. 9 is overweight. If your BMI is higher than 43 you will not likely qualify for traditional health insurance coverage. If your BMI is between 29-43, a health insurer may choose to offer you health insurance with a rated up premium. If you have pre-existing health issues in relation to your weight, such as diabetes, hypertension or heart disease, a health insurer may deny you coverage altogether, even if your BMI is within range. In addition to the BMI the belly fat or waist circumference is a good indicator of future health problems associated with excess weight such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Overweight inactive individuals with a propensity to store excess stomach fat will eventually experience insulin resistance, and or other heart health issues. When underwriters review an application and see that an applicant has a combination of these pre-existing conditions a red flag is immediately raised regarding the application. Underwriters have certain risk criteria they use when combining your BMI with other risk factors such as smoking, and the health issues previously mentioned that might be exacerbated when combined together. Certain combinations of these will result in a decline for health coverage.

Excess Weight Affect Your Health and Cost of Healthcare?

While many overweight individuals may feel they are being railroaded by the insurers, the conclusion is that between 2 and 7% of all health care cost are associated with overweight and obesity, which resulted from health issues associated with the treatment of the overweight factors such as hypertension, insulin resistance or diabetes, high cholesterol, cardiac conditions, certain forms of cancer, respiratory issues, inactivity, absenteeism from work, mortality cost, and loss of family income from premature death.

What You can Do to Obtain Approval For A Health Insurance Policy

If you believe you may be overweight and may not qualify for individual or family health coverage, you can take a few precautions prior to submitting a health application. You should find a qualified health insurance broker who offers more than one carrier’s products and is knowledgeable about some of the underwriting requirements or is able to research the best plan for you. You can complete a prescreen application which will allow the broker to communicate with underwriters the issues prior to submitting the application and improve your chances of approval and avoid a potential decline. A decline can really be detrimental to obtaining creditable coverage. You should also review the BMI tables while not all tables are the same this will give you an idea of how close or far you are from current healthy body mass index levels for your height. Lastly consider improving your health for your own benefit by starting some basic exercise like walking 30 minutes a day, educating yourself about nutritious foods, eliminating empty calories like sugar and saturated fats and creating a lifestyle that makes you feel good, makes you productive, make you look great, reverse some health problems altogether and extend your life and most of all affords you quality health insurance.

Insurance is a matter of choice but with so many insurance corporations providing the best insurance plans, it is difficult to find out which insurance corporation is the best. To understand the technicalities of insurance, one needs to have a fair idea of the types of insurance plans available in the market. One such type of insurance is Short Term Health Insurance. In this article, we shall learn its need and coverage limitations.  

Understanding Short Term Health Insurance:
As the name suggests, a short term health insurance, also known as temporary health insurance, is a health insurance policy that provides insurance for a short period of time. The time period may be as short as a month and can also go up to 6 – 12 months. As far as working is concerned, short term health insurance works in a similar way as a long term health insurance. The only difference between the two is the coverage each policy provides. If you buy one short term health policy, you shall receive a health insurance card that will possess limits and deductible on the services of the policy.  

The Need of Short Term Health Insurance
Short term health insurance proves to be very suitable to a section of the society such as students, temporary workers, etc. These people find a short term plan more economical and suitable since their stay in foreign land is not long. Buying a long term insurance policy can be very expensive considering the duration of their stay. These policies are also suitable for people who sport good health and do not wish to spend more on long term insurance policies. The short term insurance policy in essence provides one with an insurance against accidents and illnesses for a limited period of time, say not more than a year.   

Coverage Limitations of Short Term Health Insurance
The difference between a short term and a long term health insurance plan is the coverage since a short term health plan does not cover pre-existing conditions and preventative care. A pre existing condition is a medical problem that one suffers from prior to getting into the insurance. The short term health insurance polices are specifically designed to provide protection against major health problems.  

Another point to be taken care of is that if one opts for a short term health insurance policy, one becomes ineligible to the guaranteed health insurance coverage that one is provided with irrespective of the status of one’s health. Also visitors to USA need to have visitors health insurance done mandatory.   

Despite its limitations, temporary health insurance is a boon for people who cannot afford to buy long term health insurance plans. Since major illnesses are covered under a short term health insurance plans, students and workers prefer buying it rather than any other long term plan.

Blue Cross Insurance of California is arguably the most leading insurance company in California where insurance plans are affordable and also easily obtainable. They do not believe in work for-profit policy. You can choose suitable health insurance plan from a pool of health insurance plans provided by them. It is common knowledge that insurance is a shield whereby you save yourself from financial ruin in case of health problems.

Blue Cross Insurance of California also provides a large network of highly qualified doctors with all necessary medical facilities. Apart from basic services such as hospitalization, surgeries, and outpatient treatment for sicknesses, Blue Cross Insurance of California are also covering preventive care, care for chronic conditions, vision and dental care, prescription drug coverage etc. Blue Cross Insurance of California provides you the best possible group insurance plans.

There were originally two separate companies Blue Cross and Blue Shield and they merged many years ago to form the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. There are still states where Blue Cross and Blue Shield are considered separate entities rather than a merged company. Blue Cross and Blue Shield health care providers have one company in almost each state. This way, you can get the best of both worlds by taking advantage of affordable health insurance plan premiums, while getting the best overall health care that you deserve.

Currently, this organization has over 30 independent health insurance companies operating on different parts of the country. Blue Cross of California, owned by Wellpoint, is determined about creating low cost products to help the uninsured. Now they are even taking somewhat controversial steps in allowing immigrants without documentation other than that issued by Mexican consulates to avail their plans.

The Blue Cross believes that people after years of hard work and paying appropriate taxes, deserve nothing but the best medical care that they can get. For a few years now, retirees, government and private employees, unemployed individuals, housewives, as well as US citizens working abroad have been receiving some form of benefit from a Blue Cross or Blue Shield health care provider.

The Blue Cross offers affordable monthly health insurance premiums and provides you with a choice between short and long-term health coverage, depending on your individual needs. Blue Cross offers discounts on medical procedures, consultations and general health care and has plans for medical supplies in case of an injury or a short period of stay in the hospital.

The Blue Cross of California Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) Plans cover more of the costs of your health care than any other plan type. HMO Plans provide coverage only for services received from doctors and hospitals within the HMO Network. You can choose a specific health care group and physician within the network to coordinate all of your health care needs. As a Blue Cross member, you will also enjoy special member services, including Health Extension SM program, which provides the members information about discounts offered by independent vendors on health products and services and round the clock confidential access to registered nurses to help members manage chronic diseases including diabetes, asthma and congestive heart problems.

I was very surprised, and not in a nice way, to get two notices from my own health insurance company. The first one, as expected, notified me that rates were going up again this year. The second one shocked me becaue it notified me that I had grown a year older, and was now in a more expensive age band. So I got my rates increased, not once, but twice!

I know others will be interested in knowing the top tips for saving money without losing good health coverage. Understand that all of these ideas will not work for everybody, but many people should be able to find one or two hot tips they can use to find cheaper health insurance.

I see a lot of TOP 10 lists, so I thought I would go one better by providing 11 ways to cut health insurance premiums!

- Can you raise your deductible? A health insurance deductible is the amount you must pay every year before your company starts to cover medical services. A $250 yearly deductible will cost thousands of dollars more, every year, than a $2500 yearly deductible. And of course, a $5,000 yearly deductible will be cheaper still. In fact, it may be possible to save more than the deductible difference. If you consider this option, it would be a good idea to try to set some of your savings aside in case you do run up more out of pocket medical expenses.

- Sometimes more policies cost less. Many health insurance agents urge their cliets to be creative. They mention the tactic of buying major medical along with a cheap accident and/or critical illness plan. This can reduce out of pocket expenses, but be very affordable! If your deductible is $10,000, and little Suzy breaks her arm, the ER visit can be covered by a cash payment from an accident policy. If Dad has a minor heart attack, a critical illness policy can provide cash to cover the deductible, make up for lost income, and still cost less!

- Do you really benefit from copay benefits? – Sure, you may have $40 copays, but the negotiated rate a network doctor can charge may not be that much more than that anyway. Meanwhile, you have paid 25% of your insurance premium for this benefit. If you have to pay a network negotiated rate for a $120 doctor’s office visit a couple of times a year, but that benefit costs you $1,200 a year, does that make sense? Balance your yearly deductible vs. the copay benefit to make a decision.

- Can you qualify for any government health? I know lots of families who carry individual health insurance on themselves, but use the CHIPS programs for their kids. They have a moderate income so their children qualify for the federal children’s program.

- Raise Your Deductible – The premium difference between a $500 deductible and a $2500 yearly deductible can be thousands of dollars every year. It would take months for you to save the difference.

- Consider an H. S. A – The tax advantages of a health savings account can be worth hundreds of dollars every month. In addition, you can use tax deferred dollars to pay for many medical services, including a higher deductible.

- Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle – You know that people who do not smoke and who maintain a normal weight will get discounts for health insurance.

- Raise your RX deductible – If you aren’t comfortable with raising your yearly medical deductible, consider raising your RX deductible. Some plans will let you keep the lower deductible if you buy generics anyway.

- Look for consumer driven health plans. – If you are a man or older woman, and do not have children, some state mandated benefits like early childhood care or maternity care do not make sense. Why pay for them. You can find some consumer driven health plans that make you sign a paper that you understand you are skipping these benefits that you do not need. Of course, be sure you will not need them in the near future.

- Will a part time job provide health insurance? – If you are self-employed, or work at a job that does not provide health insurance, consider working part time for a company that provides group health insurance. If one spouse could find a 20 hour a week job with an employer who provides health insurance, it may help a lot.

- Shop Around for Cheaper Health Insurance Premiums – Insurers keep coming up with new and innovative health insurance plans, and don’t assume your old company gives you the best rates. Nothing could be simpler than using an online health insurance quote form to compare rates and plans.

You know that you should be sure you have qualified for, and been accepted by, a new health plan before you cancel your old one. But people do shop around for health insurance and change in order to keep top quality medical coverage that makes sense while saving lots of money!

Health insurance has become necessary for people owing to increasing cost of medicines and hospitals. Of late, treatment cost has increased than ever before. Group health insurance is specifically designed in Florida to meet the health care requirements of employees of large as well as small companies. In the plan, the employer pays a portion of premium along with an insured employee. Most of the companies in Florida introduce a group health insurance plan to provide health insurance protection to their employees. There are various insurance companies operating in the state of Florida that offer various schemes to cover an individual, children, entire family, and a corporate or business group.

Group health insurance in Florida enables people to receive quality and private treatment with ease without any cost. The plan also protects people from waiting for hours and going through undue suffering to get the medical treatment. Florida group health insurance offers various benefits not only for employees, but also for employers. As the insurance company takes care of employees, the employer needs not to worry about the treatment of employees. Being members of a Florida group health insurance plan, the employees get a number of valuable benefits with ease. The employees need not to pay hefty amount as the employer also pays some part of the premium.

Florida health insurance covers all your medical expenses including cost of medicines, prescriptions, doctor visits, and hospital stays. But, the health coverage and premiums can only be decided by knowing your present health condition and age. It is sure that group health insurance benefits are different from company to company; but all the group health insurance companies in Florida cover a common benefit known as the health benefit. In fact, it is very important to find a reliable insurance company that offers group health insurance policies in and around Florida at rock bottom prices.

Finding a reliable company that offers group health insurance in Florida is not a daunting task if you make an extensive search through the internet. To avail Florida health insurance at best price one should always compare the insurance quotes of different companies. You will get quotes of various companies and compare them to find the best plan. Major group health insurance companies in Florida also have fast processing option. All you need to do is fill in a simple online form and rest of the work will be completed by your selected insurance provider.

JLBG is the largest provider of health insurance and employee benefit plans, and because the company is fully aware that health insurance is a complex subject, it offers free advice, quotes, and news from a licensed professional for individuals, employees, and students. The company was founded in 1972 by Jeffrey L. Barnes, who is a top provider for Time Insurance Company (Assurant Health). Mr. Barnes qualified for the highly contested and coveted Ring of Honor more than any other agent in the Time Insurance Company’s one 116 year old history.

Currently, JLBG is a pioneer in the burgeoning, consumer-driven health care marketplace through its industry leadership and in its offering of customized and affordable Assurant Health solutions. JLBG is the largest premium volume MGA for Assurant Health, and is most certainly on the rise with other health insurance carriers. The Assurant Health plan company is exclusively endorsed by the National Federation of Independent Business with over 600 thousand small business members. JLBG currently serves over three million association members, 150 thousand individual members, and 1,300 brokers nationwide. JLBG has been specializing in Assurant Health plans for more than thirty years and is licensed in forty-six states and recognized nationally as a leader in the health insurance marketplace.

The Assurant Health plan company of JLBG pioneered the FPP™ (the Fortis Protector Program) in 1993, by offering personalized individual health insurance benefit plans to the staffing industry. The Fortis Protector Program platform has evolved into a full-scale health insurance delivery model with extensive brokerage community backed by an internal call center, back-office support, and high-end proprietary software platforms able to serve a multitude of health insurance solutions to all facilities in the marketplace.

Individuals, such as those who are self-employed, students, and retired persons, need Assurant Health insurance policies in place to have peace of mind in the knowledge that in unforeseen circumstances they can seek and receive medical treatment at any time. An Assurant Health insurance plan should be a major element of any financial plan. JLBG advises clients that unexpected medical expenses for those who are not covered by a plan leaves them vulnerable to financial risk, and in some cases, even financial ruin. One of the biggest causes of bankruptcy is the unexpected medical expenses incurred by illness or accidents.

JLBG can offer a range of individual Assurant Health policies to suit lifestyles, needs, and budgets. Individual Assurant Health policies offer greater flexibility than group policies because only those specific benefits required for the client and/or wife and family are purchased. A group policy may require an employee to pay for maternity benefits when these are never going to be used. Individual Assurant Health plan clients are able to keep their policies when they change jobs or retire for as long as they choose to keep paying their premiums. An additional benefit is that self-employed individuals or students are permitted to deduct 100 percent of their health insurance premiums from their taxes.

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According to the United States Census Bureau, 87. 7 percent of Ohioans had some form of health insurance coverage during 2005, while 12. 3 percent were not insured at any time during the year. Additionally, 14 percent of Ohio residents under the age of sixty-five did not have health insurance during 2005.

AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE OPTIONS IN OHIO

Most Ohioans who have health insurance are covered by either employer based plans or government programs. What options are available for individuals who do not have access to such coverage? Ohio Department of Insurance Director, Ann Womer Benjamin, references the “increasing number of options with Health Savings Accounts. There may be a person, or a family, generally comfortable paying for health care costs, but wants a high deductible policy. Also, for fairly young, fairly healthy individuals, an HSA coupled with a High Deductible Health Plan could really work. “

Health Savings Accounts are not feasible for everyone. Ohio residents who are not interested in HSAs should try to take advantage of alternative plans and programs. “Ohio has an Open Enrollment Program that takes (uninsured individuals) regardless of pre-existing conditions, but is likely costly”, Womer Benjamin explains.

HEALTH CARE COVERAGE LEGISLATION

There are currently two bills in the Ohio Legislature, Senate Bill 272 and House Bill 5 / Senate Bill 5 that are generally supported by the Ohio Department of Insurance as methods of expanding access to health insurance coverage.

Senate Bill 272 would repeal the Open Enrollment Program, as well as the Open Enrollment Reinsurance Program. In its place, the Ohio Health Insurance Risk Pool would be created to provide health care coverage to individuals who are unable to obtain affordable health care coverage in any other manner. This would eliminate the annual periods of open enrollment that sickness and accident insurers, health insurance corporations, and multiple employer welfare arrangements (MEWAs) are currently required to hold. “The Ohio Health Insurance Risk Pool would provide a state fund for those without health insurance coverage. We would support this concept and have various suggestions for funding. We would theoretically be able to reach ten times more individuals than the Open Enrollment Program does currently”, says Womer Benjamin.

House Bill 5 / Senate Bill 5 would permit small employers to offer health care plans that do not provide benefits otherwise required by law. The bill provides for the operation of health savings accounts that are consistent with federal law, and places a limit on an insured’s liability for co-payments and deductibles under a health benefit plan. ODI Director Womer Benjamin asserts that the bill “would provide more options for small businesses, and we are hopeful that that will pass”.

THE MASSACHUSETTS EXAMPLE

On April 4, 2006, Massachusetts House Bill 4850 was overwhelmingly passed by the state legislature. All Massachusetts residents will be required to obtain health insurance coverage by July 1, 2007. The state’s plan dictates that businesses with more than ten employees that do not provide health insurance coverage will be charged a fee of as much as $295 a year for each employee. Government subsidies to private insurance plans will provide affordable health insurance to a greater number of the working poor, and individuals who can afford private health plans will be penalized on their state income taxes if they do not have coverage. Should Ohio consider a similar plan in order to achieve nearly universal health insurance coverage? Ohio Department of Insurance Director Ann Womer Benjamin says that we need to “watch Massachusetts and evaluate the plan’s success and funding”. “Ohio has a larger number of uninsured individuals and is different than Massachusetts, politically. ”

Ohioans have a large selection of health insurance carriers and government programs to choose from. Regardless of the provider, it is extremely important for individuals to obtain a health insurance plan. Director Womer Benjamin emphasizes that she is “concerned with people who don’t think they need health insurance coverage”.

About The Ohio Department of Insurance

The Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI) is an informative resource for those seeking information regarding health insurance options in the state. ODI asserts that its mission is to be “responsive to and safeguard consumer interests through education and vigilance while promoting a stable and competitive marketplace among insurance providers”. The Ohio Department of Insurance can help uninsured persons sort through their options, depending on their individual circumstances. For more information, call the ODI Consumer Hotline at 1-800-686-1526.

The Department is headed by Director Ann Womer Benjamin, who was appointed in January of 2003, and is the first woman to hold this position. Prior to this appointment, Womer Benjamin served in the Ohio House of Representatives for eight years.