SCI releases recommendations to Gov. Strickland

On Tuesday the State Coverage Initiative released a final draft of its six recommendations to meet Gov. Strickland’s goal of insuring an additional 500,000 Ohioans by 2011 (Source: “Health insurance task force ready with recommendations,” Columbus Business First, July 21, 2008).

Among the suggestions are to create a state-sponsored reinsurance program and expand Medicaid to 200 percent of the federal poverty level for parents. The list also includes a requirement that all employers establish Section 125 premium-only plans, even if they do not contribute to them, and extension of the coverage to dependents up to age 29.

The 12-member SCI team, which consisted of government, business, health policy and labor officials, began work last summer with a 41-member advisory committee to draft the recommendations.

The estimated cost of adopting all of the proposals ranges from $1.2 billion to $1.6 billion a year.