Anthem Ohio health insurance rates could double…or even quadruple if health overhaul legislation is passed, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article. Wellpoint Inc., the nation’s largest health insurer (and parent company of Ohio Anthem Blue Cross) published a report that said Ohio’s health insurance rates would more than double for average individuals and nearly QUADRUPLE for younger healthier people. Wellpoint also said  that 70% of small businesses would also pay higher prices if the new proposed legislation is enacted.

Wellpoint derived its data from 14 states (including Ohio) that have Blue Cross plans and studied the impact of the main changes under consideration. They said Ohio health insurance rates would increase for individuals of average age and health, with younger customers seeing the largest increases.

Currently, Ohio health insurance rates are among the lowest in the country. The Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus areas enjoy some of the lowest rates in the state. But current health care reform proposals threaten to substantially increase rates, and possibly force Ohio residents to purchase coverage they don’t want (if the “public option” is included in legislation).

You can view the entire Wall Street Journal article here.

UPDATE: January 2012  So far,  rates haven’t doubled, but we may find out within the next six months. The Supreme Court will be ruling on the legality of many portions of the new health care legislation. Stay tuned!

The MOST expensive Ohio health insurance plans? Now wait a minute! Ohio residents don’t care about expensive plans. You want me to do what I do best…find the most affordable Ohio health insurance plans. Right? Of course!

Well…today I’m going to deviate a bit. I spend 20 hours per day (OK…it seems that long) quoting, preaching, researching and writing about Ohio’s low cost health plans. Almost all of this blog’s content deals with saving you, the Ohio consumer, money.

Today is different. I have researched hundreds of plans from the major health insurance companies in an effort to find the ten most expensive Ohio individual policies. These plans are terrific policies, with rich coverages and low out-of-pocket expenses. But…they are very expensive. OK. Here they are:

1. Humana Portrait Share 80 Plus RX Unlimited $1,000 Deductible

2.Celtic Preferred ManagedIndemnity Plan $1,000 Deductible

3. UnitedHealthOne Copay Select 0% Coinsurance $500 Deductible

4. Medical Mutual SuperMed One Standard 500 with Office visit and RX $500 deductible

5.Anthem Premier 80% BuyUp RX $250 Deductible

6.Anthem Premier 80% BuyUp RX $500 Deductible

7.Aetna First Dollar PPO 30 No Deductible

8.Celtic Preferred Managed Indemnity Plan $500 Deductible

9.Humana Portrait Share 80 Plus RX Unlimited (ded) $1,000 Deductible

10. Anthem Premier 80% BuyUp RX $1,000 Deductible

There they are! The 10 most expensive Ohio health insurance plans. Please keep in mind that I did not include any riders in the calculations, and excluded a few companies whose rates are extremely high on virtually every policy they offer. Also…These 10 plans are very comprehensive, and provide extensive coverage. Structurally, there is nothing wrong with the policies.

Ohioquotes.com is the premier resource for affordable Ohio health insurance plans. To instantly view, compare or apply for high-quality coverage, simply click on the “Get Instant Quote” button at the top of the page. Your information will not be shared with any other person or company.

UPDATE: January 2012.  Thankfully, many of these plans are no longer available. There are still a lot of expensive health care plans, so we’ll do our best to steer you away from them. Of course there are many more low cost policies offered by every company, so those are the options we’ll focus on.

The Ohio Anthem Lumenos Health Savings Account (HSA) may be the most unappreciated health plan in the state. When compared with other comprehensive plans or HSAs, it offers flexibility, competitive rates and lower out-of-pocket costs that make it an Ohio health insurance plan that should always be considered. The Lumenos is the “high deductible health plan” (HDHP) portion of the policy while the HSA contract allows you to pay for current health expenses and save for future qualified medical expenses on a tax-free basis.

Unlike most Ohio medical plans, the Lumenos HSA features just one family deductible, regardless of how many family members are on the policy. Once the deductible is met, 100% of all covered medical expenses are paid without any co-insurance. The lifetime maximum is also a generous $7 million per person.

Ohio Anthem Health Savings Accounts also feature adult and child preventive care coverage that is not subject to the deductible or waiting period. Routine office visits (subject to the deductible) receive “Network Repricing” which reduces out-of-pocket expenses by approximately 10%-25%. Lab test and X-ray costs are often discounted by as much as 50%-80%. Even MRIs receive discounts that are often more than $1,000.

Additional included coverages, that are sometimes not found in other plans, include home health care, skilled nursing and physical, occupational and speech therapy. A 24/7 NurseLine and members-only discounts on healthy lifestyle services are also provided for all Ohio Anthem policyholders. An additional benefit is that the Network extends to other states so you can continue to utilize coverage.

For additional information on Ohio Anthem plans, please visit Ohio’s premier website for Ohio health plans here, or instantly view and compare different plans by clicking on the “Get Instant Quote” button at the top of the page. We respect your privacy and do not sell or solicit your information. And your email is never shared. Once it is read, we respond and place it in a secure file.

Your Ohio health insurance quote is provided by Ohio’s leading resource for Ohio health insurance quotes…Us! We only consider high-quality health insurers and actually filter out some companies that are not rated “A” by A.M. Best Company or have had consumer complaint issues. Our quoted rates are the lowest you’ll find from any licensed broker or authorized website. We’re located just North of Cincinnati and will help you find affordable health care.

Dozens of out-of-state websites offer Ohio health insurance quotes. But many of these sites recommend outdated and unpopular plans that often are not the best option. And these websites may not be able to accurately explain the differences between Ohio plans that appear similar, but are actually quite different. With more than 30 years of insurance experience, we’ll locate the policies that help you the most, but cost the least.

When we prepare your Ohio health insurance quote, all of the different types of plans will be presented to you. Comprehensive plans. Catastrophic plans. And Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Also…your quote is always personalized to insure you’re getting the coverages you need. For example, if there are small children in the household, immunizations and well-checkups will be emphasized. If you prefer a major medical policy that features low rates, we’ll pick plans that remove the coverages you don’t need and shouldn’t pay for. If you only need benefits for a few months, there are plans specifically designed for that purpose.

Our state-of-the-art quoting process allows you to instantly view and compare your Ohio health insurance quotes. We also make the application process easy, and of course, never charge any type of fee. To view your quotes, simply use on the “Get Instant Quote” button at the top of the page. Your personal information is never shared with any other person or company. Once you view your personal rates, we’re available to point out the policies that are your best options.

Mega Life and Health Insurance Company has many Ohio policyholders. Many of their customers have purchased Ohio health insurance coverage through membership in the National Association for the Self- Employed (NASE).

Is Mega Life deceptive and do they use unfair practices to promote their policies? Well…in Massachusetts, apparently they do. As a result of the state’s legal action, Mega Life has agreed to pay more than $17 million in penalties, other costs and consumer relief. And more importantly, while Mega Life can still conduct business here in Ohio, they are no longer permitted to sell health plans in Massachusetts for five years. And eventually, they must pull completely out of the market.

In addition to Mega Life’s problems in Massachusetts, in May, A.M. Best Company downgraded the credit rating of HealthMarkets Inc., the parent company of Mega Life. The rating downgrade primarily reflected a continued decline in revenue premium and increased financial leverage. Lower agent sales, the US economic condition and competitor pressure hurt premium revenue in 2008.

Mega Life often targets small business owners and the self employed in Ohio. Many of their products are packaged with association memberships in the National Association for the Self-Employed. Some of Mega Life’s problems in Massachusetts were because they apparently did not cover certain medical procedures that were specifically required to be included in their health insurance policies.

As Ohio’s leading resource for Ohio health insurance plans, my obligation is to ensure that my clients are made aware of the most recent and informative information regarding Ohio health insurance companies. We do not market or sell their products as we feel there are better options from other major carriers such as Anthem, UnitedHealthOne and Medical Mutual. When you view rates on our website, you can easily compare the best policies and easily apply for coverage.