Paulding Co. offered lifeline to be included in Ohio health care marketplace

Blade, The (Toledo, OH)

Aug. 24--The Ohio Department of Insurance on Thursday announced it had reached an agreement with CareSource to provide 2018 marketplace insurance coverage in Paulding County, which had been the only one in the state lacking a single available plan on the exchange next year.

"Working through this challenge has been a priority for the department and our staff in recent weeks and I'm proud of the collaborative approach insurers have been willing to take so that we could come together and solve this problem," state insurance director Jillian Froment said in a statement Thursday. "There is a lot of uncertainty facing consumers when it comes to health insurance and these announcements will provide important relief."

In July, the state insurance department announced that five insurers had agreed to offer plans 19 of the 20 "bare" Ohio counties that would have been without a 2018 plan on the insurance marketplace created by the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare.

In northwest Ohio, those counties included Hancock, Williams, Wyandot, and Van Wert. Paulding was the lone county to without an insurer until Thursday.

RELATED: Insurers to fill gaps in Ohio healthcare marketplace

"The Marketplace provides vital health care coverage to more than 10.3 million Americans and we want to be a resource for consumers left without options," said CareSource President and CEO Pamela Morris in a statement. "Our decision to offer coverage in the bare counties speaks to our mission and commitment to the Marketplace and serving those who are in need of health care coverage."

State officials and insurers are finalizing rates for 2018 plans. By late September, insurers must sign contracts with the federal government to offer plans on the exchange.

Those with questions can call the Ohio Department of Insurance at 1-800-686-1526.

Contact Lauren Lindstrom at [email protected], 419-724-6154 or on Twitter @lelindstrom.

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