When you think of Ohio health insurance, Anthem Blue Cross is probably the first health insurance company that comes up. Granted, UnitedHealthcare, Aetna and Medical Mutual are big companies, but Anthem is Ohio’s flagship health insurance provider.

Like most companies, Anthem considers many factors when determining rates. Some of the factors include height/weight, current medications, medical history, smoking status, and of course, your age. County of residence and/or zip code will also affect the rate.

In most cases, Anthem’s rates tend to be their highest in the Northern portion of the state. The Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati areas often feature Anthem’s most competitive rates.

Occasionally, Anthem, like most Ohio health insurance companies, will check your medical history with the Medical Information Bureau (MIB). The MIB is a membership corporation owned by member life insurance companies in the United States and Canada. It maintains a database for members to exchange confidential information of underwriting significance.

You are entitled to request a free copy of your report once per year. Simply call the MIB at (866) 692-6901.

For your free personalized Ohio health insurance quote, please visit http://www.ohioquotes.com

Cinergy Health seems to do as much advertising these days as Billy Mays. No, they don’t pitch OxiClean or Mighty Putty, but Cinergy does heavily market their medical plans.

Are they worth it? In most cases…No! In fact, unless you thoroughly read the fine print of your policy, you may be in for a jolt!

Available Cinergy Plans

Cinergy offers two types of plans. “Cinergy Health Signature” is their discount health plan and “Cinergy Health Preferred” is their insurance plan. Both plans offer far less coverage than a conventional Ohio health insurance policy from a major insurer…such as Blue Cross, Aetna or UnitedHealthCare.

“Cinergy Health Signature” is NOT a health insurance policy. It may help you reduce some of your healthcare costs, but not necessarily   a significant amount. Coverage benefits are very vague and the premium for a single person is almost $1000 per year. And, the plans are actually provided by Patriot Health Florida, who requires you to PAY FOR ALL HEALTHCARE SERVICES in advance. Later, you may receive a discount on some of those expenses.

“Cinergy Health Preferred 500” is considered an insurance plan, but coverages are limited and descriptions of these coverages are fairly vague on their website. For example, this plan only covers ONE emergency room visit per year. Only ONE preventative visit per year is allowed. Daily hospital confinement charges are also limited to $500 per day and 30 days per year.

The Cost

And the premium? Try more than $2200 per year for one person and $3800 for a family. The “Preferred 1000” plan offers higher coverages, but at rates of more than $2800 and $5700 per year respectively! Sorry…but NO THANKS! And let’s not forget the dreaded $50 application fee on top of those high rates.

If you can qualify for an Ohio Health Insurance Plan from a major carrier, then don’t waste your time with Cinergy. If you are uninsurable, then you may want to consider a plan…but read the policy in its entirety. Cinergy will only consider refund requests in writing and will not refund the application fee.

For your personalized Ohio health insurance quote, please visit

Most Ohio health insurance companies base their rates on many factors. Of course, the applicant’s health is the most important factor. But in addition, to health and age, the zip code can weigh heavily in ultimately determining the rate.

Most of Columbus is located in Franklin County, which is generally one of the lowest-cost counties in Ohio for health insurance. Even the surrounding counties, such as Delaware, Union, Madison and Licking, all have very favorable rates. Reasons for these low rates generally include lower hospital charges, lower doctor’s visit charges, and in some cases, lower malpractice premiums for medical professionals.

Ohio Health Insurance Quotes

As an example, comparing rates for a typical comprehensive health insurance plan for a 45-year old husband and wife, we find the following monthly rates:

Franklin County

$263-UnitedHealthCare

$293-Aetna

$328-Medical Mutual

$363-Anthem

Warren County

$293-Aetna

$295-UnitedHealthCare

$346-Medical Mutual

$364-Anthem

Hamilton County

$293-Aetna

$328-UnitedHealthCare

$346-Medical Mutual

$364-Anthem

Cuyahoga County

$328-UnitedHealthCare

$353-Aetna

$378-Medical Mutual

$423-Anthem

The four plans considered in this comparison were UnitedHealthCare’s “Copay Select”, Aetna’s “PPO 2500”, Medical Mutual’s “Super MedOne Standard” and Anthem’s “Blue Access Plan 2.” Coverages vary between policies and Network negotiated pricing and doctor/hospital networks are different. Also…Anthem’s individual health insurance policy has higher prescription coverage than the other three mentioned carriers.

UnitedHealthCare’s  most comprehensive copay policy is the “Copay Select” contract. It features a  $35 copay on covered office visits. There is no maximum limit on the number of allowable visits, although, unlike previous plans, the $35 copay is not adjustable.

Prescriptions are capped at $3000 per covered person per year. Although the generic copay is $15, in most cases your purchase price will be less. Non-generic prescriptions, as expected, can get a bit pricey.

Child and adult preventative care are solidly covered, including vaccines. Lab test and x-ray coverage are offered without a deductible. Mental health coverage is limited, and as usual with most major carriers, maternity is excluded.

Overall, UnitedHealthCare’s  “Copay Select”  Plan  rates high. It is missing a few coverages that Anthem’s “Plan 2” has, but throughout most areas of Ohio, the rate is extremely competitive, especially in the Dayton and Columbus areas.

Aetna’s PPO 2500 plan is similar, but has a higher non-generic deductible ($500 instead of UHC’s $100). However, Aetna’s annual cap on prescriptions is $5,000 instead of $3000.

Medical Mutual’s SuperMedOne Standard policy is also very competitively priced in the Ohio Health Insurance market. Coverages are very impressive and rates are usually attractive.

Tough choice. If you’re an Ohio resident and health insurance coverage is one of your key concerns, there are many factors to consider.

Obama’s plan would have the government take a stronger role in reducing the number of uninsured Americans.

McCain’s proposal would tax workers for the value of their employer-provided health plan, at the same time giving tax credits of $2,500 to single people and of $5,000 to families. The idea is for the employees to use the money to buy individual health insurance plans.

 A Female Perspective

Speaking from the Ladies’ Gallery in the Ohio Statehouse, Nikki Rigano, a worker at the New Albany Kroger and member of UFCW Local 1059, had this to say about Senator McCain’s health care proposals:

“Senator McCain’s plan to establish a brand new ‘health tax’ would be irresponsible during the best of times, but during an economic crisis it threatens the well-being of middle-class families everywhere. Instead of creating new taxes, he should be helping hard-working Americans keep the tools they need to stay healthy. Putting affordable, quality health coverage out of reach for more than 900,000 Ohioans is simply not an acceptable option.”

I don’t accept Rigano’s notion, and in fact believe McCain’s plan will help more Ohioans with their health insurance than Obama’s plan. 

More than 1.2 million Ohioans currently have no health insurance and one million more are under-insured. These figures are hardly surprising, considering Ohio health insurance premiums have risen more than 250% since 2000.  According to a recent report by the Center for American Progress, a middle-class Ohio family could expect to pay an extra $900 in McCain’s “health tax” by 2013, and 920,000 would lose coverage altogether under his plan.

However, the nonpartisan Factcheck.org has said this assertion is false. Factcheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. Its mission is to monitor the validity of political advertising and rhetoric so that voters will be able to make a more informed choice at the polls.

 False Claims

“The Obama-Biden ad falsely claims McCain says he wants to “do the same to our health care” that “Wall Street deregulation” has done to the banking industry,” Factcheck.org said in its analysis.

According to them, the ad takes a phrase out of context from an article Sen. McCain wrote in the September/October issue of “Contingencies,” a journal of the American Academy of Actuaries.

The full quote provides the context. What Sen. McCain is talking about is permitting people to buy health insurance across state lines – a practice currently not permitted.

Sen. McCain wrote, “I would also allow individuals to choose to purchase health insurance across state lines, when they can find more affordable and attractive products elsewhere … Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation. Consumer-friendly insurance policies will be more available and affordable.”

  Buying Insurance Across State Lines 

  Sen. McCain’s proposal echos what insurance industry analysts have been saying for years. Currently, the residents of each state can only buy insurance from companies operating in that state. Industry analysts say that benefits mandated by legislators, which have little to do with consumers, drive up costs.

For example, families in New Jersey, which mandates more benefits than Pennsylvania, such as infertility, a family plan can cost $1,652 per month, while a family can buy a plan in Pennsylvania for $707 per month. Critics point out 60-year-olds have little need for infertility benefits.

For your personalized Ohio health insurance quote, visit http://www.ohioquotes.com or email eharris@ohioquotes.com 

Comprehensive coverage. Catastrophic coverage.  If you’re a consumer shopping for individual or family health insurance, rates are perhaps the most important factor. But policy coverages are a key component, and ultimately, often determine which company is chosen.

To help you identify some of the differences in coverage, I have provided a list of some of the most common Ohio health insurance plans, and what type of coverage they offer. The list is not all-inclusive.

Comprehensive Plans

Anthem Blue Access Plan 2

Aetna PPO

UnitedHealthCare Copay Select

UnitedHealthCare MedOnePlus

UnitedHealthCare Plan 100

Medical Mutual SuperMed One Standard

Celtic Preferred Select

Humana Portrait

Catastrophic Plans

UnitedHealthCare Saver80

UnitedHealthCare HSA Saver

Combination Plans (Catastrophic with some office visit or RX coverage)

Anthem Blue Access Value

Anthem Blue Access Economy

Aetna PPO Value

Aetna P&H Care

UnitedHealthCare Saver

Medical Mutual SuperMedOne Value

Humana Autograph

Celtic Basic

For more specific rates and information and an instant Ohio health insurance quote, please visit http://www.ohioquotes.com or http://www.majormedicalhealth.com

Escalating health insurance premiums for Ohio workers have outstripped pay increases since 2000, growing at a rate nearly nine times as fast as wages.

The average cost to workers for a family insurance plan grew more than 80 percent from 2000 to 2007. Wages during the same time rose just 8.9 percent, according to a study by Families USA.

The nonprofit national health advocacy organization analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the study.

Good News

The good news, is that Ohio individual health insurance rates, when compared to other states, are still low.

Of course, there are still many Ohio residents without medical coverage. A solid majority of Ohioans feel so strongly that all Americans should have health care that they are willing to experience some pain themselves — in the wallet.

Fifty-six percent in a Columbus Dispatch Poll say expanded health care accompanied by higher taxes is preferable to lower taxes with fewer people covered.

Health Care Spending

At an estimated $2.4 trillion this year, costs of the U.S. health-care industry have doubled in the last decade, increasing scrutiny and demands for efficiency in both the private and public sectors. Total spending on health care could increase from 16 percent of the gross domestic product last year to a quarter in 2025 — and nearly a half by 2082, predicts the Congressional Budget Office.

Affordable Ohio health insurance plans are still available. The premier source for Ohio health insurance quotes is still http://www.ohioquotes.com

A Health Savings Account is an alternative to traditional health insurance; it is a savings product that offers a alternative way for consumers to pay for their health care. HSAs enable you to pay for current health expenses and save for future qualified medical and retiree health expenses on a tax-free basis.

Don

You must be covered by a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) to be able to take advantage of HSAs. An HDHP generally costs less than what traditional health care coverage costs, so the money that you save on insurance can therefore be put into the Health Savings Account.

Many Ohio insurance companies offer HSAs.  Anthem and UnitedHealthCare may be the best options while Medical Mutual and Aetna are also companies to consider.

What Is a “High Deductible Health Plan” (HDHP)?
You must have an HDHP if you want to open an HSA. Sometimes referred to as a “catastrophic” health insurance plan, an HDHP is an inexpensive health insurance plan that generally doesn’t pay for the first several thousand dollars of health care expenses  (i.e., your “deductible”) but will generally cover you after that .  Of course, your HSA is available to help  pay for the expenses your plan does not cover. A wide range of deductibles is available…generally between $1500 and $10,000. 

How can I get a Health Savings Account?

Ohio residents can visit http://www.ohioquotes.com for an instant free quote. Out-of-state residents can visit http://www.majormedicalhealth.com. These are two of the most comprehensive health insurance websites available to the public. And yes…I am a bit biased!

How much does an HSA cost?
An HSA is not something you purchase; it’s a savings account into which you can deposit money on a tax-preferred basis.  The only product you purchase with an HSA is a High Deductible Health Plan, an inexpensive plan that will cover you should your medical expenses exceed the funds you have in your HSA. The two websites listed in the prior paragraph will provide you with immediate rates.

However, there are many available health insurance plans that are quite affordable, compared to other options. For this example, I am basing the rates on a healthy nonsmoking 35-year old male living in the Columbus area. Premiums provided are monthly…

$42  Aetna Preventive and Hospital Care 3000 ($3000 Ded.) 

$47  Anthem Blue Access Value ($5000 Ded.)

$52  Anthem Luminos HSA ($5000 Ded.)

$55  Anthem Blue Access Value ($3000 Ded.)

$61  Aetna Preventitive and Hospital Care 1200 ($1200 Ded.)

$63  Anthem Blue Access Value ($2000 Ded.)

$65  Aetna PPO 5000 ($5000 Ded.)

$77 Medical Mutual Standard 2500 ($2500 Ded.)

$93 Anthem Blue Access Plan 2 ($2500 Ded.)

All of these policies offer some level of office visit coverage without having to meet a deducible. Natuarally, pre-existing conditions may increase the rate.

For additional information, visit the good folks at http://www.ohioquotes.com.  

The policy he’s peddling is like Swiss cheese. Full of holes…and full of something else as well! Consider these policy provisions on the 1100 Series policy:

$100 application fee. Sorry…but you NEVER should pay an application fee.
Only $1000 of surgery coverage per year. Seriously…I’m not kidding!
Limit of $20 per blood test of lab test.
Limit of $220 for an MRI.
Only $1100 of your hospitalization charges are covered per year.
Anesthesia charges limited to $250 per surgery (that’s about 10 minutes, folks!).
NO outpatient surgery coverage.
Inpatient hospital expenses such as lab work, blood tests, medications etc…are NOT covered!

And it keeps getting better! For Ohio residents, the cost is NOT $50 per month, as you might expect. Try $159 per month and a whopping $269 per month for an entire family.

At those prices, you should get a food dehydrator, a knives and cutlery set, a pasta maker, a pocket fisherman and an autographed picture of Lebron James.

Granted, this plan is a little better than the dreaded “discount plans” that have flooded the market. But, there are many inexpensive major medical health insurance plans that are a much better option than Billy’s overpriced product.

A few of these options include UnitedHealthCare’s Copay Saver plans, Anthem’s Value plans and Aetna’s Value plans.

Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) would also be a much better alternative to may of these infomercial-style health plans. An HSA gives you major medical health coverage at an extremely affordable rate. Although most expenses are subject to a deductible, you will receive network-negotiated discounts and in some cases, preventive coverage at little or no out-of-pocket cost. There are also tax advantages to many HSA policyholders.

To be eligible for a Health Savings Account, an individual must be covered by a HSA-qualified High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) and must not be covered by other health insurance that is not an HDHP.

You are only allowed to have automobile, dental, vision, disability and long-term care insurance at the same time as an HDHP. You may also have coverage for a specific disease or illness as long as it pays a specific dollar amount when the policy is triggered. Wellness programs offered by your employer are also permitted if they do not pay significant medical benefits.

If you want further information on any of these plans. Or any other available plans from a reputable company, then visit http://ohioquotes.com/