The Anthem health insurance company has announced that next year it will pull out of the health insurance exchange in Ohio set up under Obamacare.
The exchange was supposed to make sure that anyone could buy health insurance, even if the person did not get it from an employer or from the government.
But the announcement means that at least 18 Ohio counties will have no insurer at all in 2018, according to a fact sheet released Tuesday by the Ohio Department of Insurance.
The decision also apparently will reduce choice in Erie and Ottawa counties, which used to have four insurers participating in the exchange and which may have just one next year.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Anthem cited uncertainty over federal government rules and the possibility that Congress will cut off subsidies supporting the plans.
The 18 counties which may have no insurers in 2018 are Coshocton, Crawford, Guernsey, Hancock, Harrison, Hocking, Holmes, Jackson, Knox, Lawrence, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Paulding, Perry, Van Wert, Vinton and Wyandot.
Although the U.S. House has passed legislation to repeal Obama Care and replace it with a plan backed by House Republicans, the U.S. Senate has not taken any action and has not set a timetable for doing so.
And U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D. OH) put the blame on the right culprit:
Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown took note of the cause and effect of Trump’s approach, calling the Republicans out in a statement: “The dangerous game President Trump and Washington politicians are playing just caused 70,000 paying customers in Ohio to lose their insurance and it will continue raising prices for everyone else. It’s got to stop.”
He added, “Instead of using working families as bargaining chips and driving up prices across the market, we need to work together to lower costs and make healthcare work better for everyone.”
Ohio Democratic Party Chairman David Pepper also released a pointed statement: “There is no debate — the Trump administration’s policies are directly responsible for the mess Ohio families now face.” Pepper singled out Ohio Republicans Rep. Josh Mandel (who is running for Senate) and Rep. Jim Renacci (running for governor) for failing “to show independence from an administration that regards Ohioans as props in their political theatre.”
It’s very important that Democrats stand strong when it comes to health care. I urge you to contact your Democratic Senator and tell them to stand firm and reject the Republicans plan to sabotage health care. Click here to find your Senate.
And let's be sure to make sure we keep Brown in the Senate. Click here to donate and get involved with Brown’s re-election campaign.