Butler County health insurance program praised, struggles to sign up the uninsured

U.S. Sen. George Voinovich met with Butler County leaders on Monday to learn about HealthShare, a new local program providing health insurance to uninsured individuals employed in that Ohio county. (Source: "Voinovich touts Butler County health care initiative," Middletown Journal, Nov. 6, 2007.) Voinovich said the program is proof that better ideas come from communities, not Capitol Hill.

Voinovich also promoted HealthShare as a key example "of the Health Partnership Act he's sponsoring. The legislation would offer grants to states and regions to test pilot programs that Congress would evaluate in five years." HealthShare uses no public funding and "helps businesses offer their employees health plans that cost as low as $76 a month if they earn up to 300 percent of federal poverty guidelines--roughly $41,070 for a family of two--or involuntarily lose coverage." However, program administrator Karen Mueller said the program's biggest obstacle is getting people to take part. Since the program's September launch, only 70 of the roughly 40,000 Butler County residents without insurance have signed up. Mueller said this is due to individuals and businesses not being aware of the program.