Last county without ACA insurer gains carrier
Ohio's insurance department will work with insurers to finalize the products and rates that will be available in 2018.
Credit: KFF.org
Ohio Department of Insurance Director Jillian Froment announced Thursday that Paulding County will now have health insurance coverage on the federal exchange in 2018.
CareSource will join with the department to offer insurance products, the two announced.
Ohioans in 20 counties faced having no access to health insurance on the exchange, however in late July the department joined five insurers, including CareSource, to announce coverage options in the 19 other counties.
[Also: Only one county in US lacks an ACA insurer in 2018]
Ohio's insurance department will work with insurers to finalize the products and rates that will be available in 2018, with the review scheduled to wrap up by early September. Insurers will then have to sign agreements with the federal government by late September to sell their coverage on the exchange.
Coverage has been restored in the following counties: Coshocton, Crawford, Guernsey, Hancock, Harrison, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Knox, Lawrence, Logan, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Paulding, Perry, Van Wert, Vinton, Williams and Wyandot.
More than 11,000 Ohioans purchase coverage through the health care exchange in those counties.
"Making sure coverage is available has been our goal through this process, but this is a temporary solution and one that only applies to 2018. Beyond that, insurers are still looking for predictability in the health insurance market," Froment said. "Now is the time for Congress to work on reforms that will strengthen our health insurance markets in ways that improve access and affordability."
"The Marketplace provides vital health care coverage to more than 10.3 million Americans and we want to be a resource for consumers left without options. Our decision to offer coverage in the bare counties speaks to our mission and commitment to the Marketplace and serving those who are in need of health care coverage," said CareSource President and CEO Pamela Morris.
The news comes as a relief after the mass exodus of numerous insurers from various state exchanges that left counties in limbo, wondering if there would be any insurance options available in 2018.
Open enrollment will kick off in November for the fifth year of ACA individual coverage being sold on the insurance exchanges.
Twitter: @BethJSanborn
Email the writer: beth.sandborn@himssmedia.com
