Affordable Ohio Health Insurance Plans

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Ohio health insurance for the uninsured is actually very inexpensive. Most of the large companies offer low cost plans that are 30%-60% less expensive than typical group coverage. Physicals are not required for compliant plans, and preventive benefits are included  with no copay or out-of-pocket expenses. And while being uninsured can potentially raise your auto insurance rate, it generally has no major impact on your medical insurance premiums.

However, if you miss Open Enrollment (November 1-January 31) and do not qualify for an SEP (Special Enrollment Period), you may be forced to purchase either a short-term policy, or coverage that does not meet any of the required Affordable Care Act mandates. This will also require you to pay a 2.5% tax penalty on your declared household income.

Affordable Options Are Available

We understand that the reason many Ohioans don’t have medical coverage is because they can’t afford it. We offer several options that will be easy on the pocketbook, but still provide benefits that can be used. The application and enrollment process is easy,  and once the policy is approved, you can pay your premiums monthly. You can choose the type of benefits you need (subject to several limitations), and pick the company that issues the policy.

Many economical plans are offered by Anthem Blue Cross, Ambetter, Medical Mutual, Molina, SummaCare, and Premier. Often, the best choice for those without coverage and on a limited budget, is a “basic” policy. This type of coverage offers limited office visit coverage (2-3 covered physician visits per person per year), limited prescription coverage (may not cover non-generic prescriptions) but includes comprehensive preventive benefits that are not subject to a deductible.

Three popular Ohio health insurance policies for the uninsured are UnitedHealthOne’s “Copay Saver” plan, Celtic’s “Basic PPO” plan, and Anthem’s “SmartSense” plan. All three policies offer coverage for two or three office visits per person per year along with additional prescription and preventive benefits. A deductible applies to major medical claims with deductible options ranging from $500 to $5,000. All three plans may be paid on a monthly basis and the policies can be cancelled at any time. The SmartSense policy does have an optional prescription upgrade.

An Ohio short-term health insurance plan is also an option to consider for any person who is uninsured. Short-term plans are extremely inexpensive and are usually issued within a few days. Policies can be kept for a month or as long as a year. UnitedHealthcare offers the lowest rates in the state with deductible options from $1,00 to $5,000 and multiple benefit options.

This type of coverage is ideal for persons that are graduating students, seasonal employees, laid off, between jobs or waiting for group benefits to begin. Anthem and Medical Mutual’s rates are sometimes “in the ballpark,” but not as low as UHC. Also, the Department of Health offers several options for low-income households.

Summary

Any person without coverage may also be eligible for Medicaid, depending on your income, including other household members. There are no Medicaid Open Enrollment deadlines, so you may apply to determine eligibility at any time.