Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Police accuse bank robbery suspect of gobbling up note (with dashcam video)
Man found dead in North Akron home is identified
Dad accused of forcing son into field, killing him
Coventry man killed in crash at I-77 ramp
NFL star Chris Spielman's wife loses cancer battle
College student mistaken for deer, shot to death
Browns' roster nearly devoid of consistent players
Review: You've never seen 'Sound of Music' like this
Blogs:
Pets:
Cat-loving chihuahua suckles seven abandoned kittens
The Heldenfiles:
Friday Night Notebook
Patrick McManamon:
For your Saturday entertainment …
Akron Zips:
Hitchens leads Zips in second-half comeback
Tribe Matters:
Seven players added to Tribe’s 40-man roster
Cleveland Browns:
Holmgren expresses interest in Browns position
Kent State Sports:
Kent State blown out in second half, loses to Temple 47-13
Cleveland Cavaliers:
Gameblog: Cavs vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Buckeye Blogging:
OSU – Michigan college football rivals meet in Baghdad
Varsity Letters:
Four area football teams play tonight
All Da King's Men:
Headed For Disaster
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Will Health Care Reform Pass?
Akron Law Café:
Health Care Financing Reform: (68) Democrats Secure 60 Votes for Cloture
See Jane Style:
Vintage Chic
Car Chase:
TIME TO GET YOUR COLLECTOR CARS WINTERIZED
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Silverdome Potentially SOLD!
Ohio Travels with Betty:
George is looking for a Thanksgiving buffet in Akron.
Sound Check:
Steely Dan Plays "The Royal Scam" at E.J. Thomas Hall
HRLite House:
Colloquium at University of Akron
Akron Gamer:
Nintendo's Mario endures even as games come and go
A governor's task force looks squarely at what is required to expand health coverage provided by Ohio employers
Published on Monday, Jul 28, 2008
About 1.3 million Ohio residents (12 percent of the state's population) lack health coverage. As previous studies also have noted, the uninsured Ohioan is likely to be a working-age adult and a high school graduate in a household where someone works full time.
There are many reasons so many Ohioans lack health coverage. Insurance companies are notorious, for example, for denying coverage to individuals tagged with the ''pre-existing condition'' label because of a history of serious illness. Among the most common explanations for the high percentage of uninsured is the number of small businesses that offer employees few or no health benefits.
Worse yet, studies show the number of employers who offer some coverage declining, as they opt out due to tightening finances and rising premium rates. Rapid increases in premiums in the individual market put health coverage beyond the range of many workers' incomes.
Thus the importance of Strickland's charge to the team to recommend ways to increase the number of small businesses capable of offering affordable health insurance to their workers. The report's proposal to expand employer-based coverage reflects the importance of insuring all workers, regardless of the size of their employer. Protecting their health should be a priority for the state.
One recommendation is that the state require Ohio employers who do not offer health benefits to establish Section 125 premium-only plans. This IRS mechanism gives workers the option to buy health coverage using pretax dollars, at the same time lowering their taxable income. For workers who cannot afford the premium costs, the report recommends state-sponsored assistance.
The point is frequently made that the thousands of small businesses across the state, often employing fewer than 50 people, form the backbone of local economies. These workers are an essential component of the economic fabric, their continued health and those of their dependents critical to productivity. Is it acceptable that a health-care system based largely on employment status continues to leave the majority of such workers uncovered?
The uninsured problem remains a challenge not for lack of effort to resolve it. The reality is that no number of reasonable recommendations can make a difference if nothing is done to restrain the cost of premiums and health-care services from outpacing the incomes of working families.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
