Finding an Affordable Ohio Health Insurance Quote
From the onset of the financial crisis to lingering high unemployment rates, many Ohioans have lost their health insurance in recent years. Indeed, long-term unemployment, one of the primary reasons people lose their health insurance coverage, is at record levels, according to this report from the Plain Dealer’s Olivera Perkins. Although the state’s health insurance industry is, arguably, ill-equipped to handle the pivot to swelling ranks of residents who must now shop for health insurance on the individual market, finding an affordable Ohio health insurance quote is not the lost cause many assume it to be. Take a look at this information that will provide a glimpse into the current state of health care in Ohio, as well as specific tips about finding affordable coverage through NetQuote.
Health Care Costs and Health Insurance in Ohio
In terms of health care spending and cost control, Ohio ranks just below average, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, with per capita spending rates that are 8% higher than the national average and health care inflation at 6%, compared to 5.5% nationally. This is in line with overall health indicators, as Ohioans also have a slightly higher than average incidence of heart disease, cancer, and other major health demographics. Of course, another reason for these slightly higher costs is undoubtedly a lower rate of uninsured residents. Ohio health insurance covers all but 11.6 % of the state’s population, considerably better than the 15.4% uninsured rate nationwide. Generally speaking, health care costs and health risks parallel average health insurance costs, although specific figures are hard to come by and harder still to trust, given the potential imbalance between upfront premium costs and potential out-of-pocket expenses. Indeed, choosing the particulars for Ohio health insurance is a very different animal for a low-income, healthy adult who needs only to guard against going broke vs. an upper-middle income adult with needs long-term care for a pre-existing condition.
Ohio Health Insurance and the Individual Market
Despite lower-than-average rates of uninsured residents, the one area where Ohio is lagging behind is in providing coverage on the individual market. There are a number of reasons for the small ranks of Ohioans who get their coverage on the individual market. First, many young adults don’t need to seek their own health insurance, as the state recently bumped up the age for dependent coverage to 28, allowing many to receive coverage through their parents’ plans. Moreover, the state’s recent focus has been on ramping up assistance and mandates for small business health insurance, such as mandating that small businesses allow their workers to purchase health insurance with pre-tax dollars.
Unfortunately, while the state has taken the important step of putting a rate cap on health plans sold to people with pre-existing conditions, few other protections afforded the individual market. There are but minimal guidelines to guarantee access to the individual market and no high-risk pool has been established. Moreover, the state is not among those who have taken the innovative, if counterintuitive, approach of allowing individuals to purchase “group of one” small group health plans. It’s also worth noting that, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, employers seem to follow the same guidelines and priorities as the state legislator: Employers contribute slightly more to employees’ family employee plans but slightly less to employees’ single coverage plans. Of course, this won’t come as a surprise to native Buckeye residents who are well aware of the state’s family-friendly reputation.
Finding an Affordable Ohio Health Insurance Quote
Although you may have higher hurdles to jump if you’re looking for individual coverage, the strategy for finding an affordable Ohio insurance quote is the same no matter what type of policy you’re shopping for. Using an online referral service, like NetQuote, provides a number of advantages that are quickly becoming the standard for health insurance consumers. First, shopping online reduces overhead for health insurance companies, which translates into slightly lower rates for you. Plus, once you take a minute to fill out a brief online form with a few basic details for your health insurance needs, companies that offer health insurance in Ohio will take the initiative to contact you. Not only will you be able to make decisions from the comfort of your own home, but you’ll have more time to review specific policy details and discuss options with health insurance agents from multiple companies. And without these policy specifics and what they mean for annual premiums and potential out-of-pocket costs, it’s impossible to choose the Ohio health insurance quote that’s right for you.
