Governor’s State of the State address included health reform proposals

Although education reform took center stage in Gov. Ted Strickland’s State of the State address, several health reform proposals also were outlined. If enacted, the governor said his health reform plan could pull more than 110,000 Ohioans out of the ranks of the uninsured.

Among the governor's proposals were several that were recommended by the State Coverage Initiative team last year. The reforms, which are expected to be presented in much greater detail next week when Strickland releases his budget plan, include:

• Expanding Medicaid eligibility to children from families with incomes up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level. Although the state received federal approval last month to expand Medicaid for children, until the State of the State there remained a question of whether the state’s budget woes would scuttle the plan. “With funding provided in this budget, we will soon be able to say that health care coverage is available to every child in Ohio,” Strickland said.

• Allowing Ohioans with employer-provided insurance to cover dependents up to age 29

• Letting small business employees who lose their jobs purchase continuation coverage for up to 12 months

• Reducing the rates for open enrollment coverage to provide more affordable options for people with pre-existing health conditions

• Requiring employers to allow their uninsured workers to purchase health care coverage with pre-tax dollars

• Adopting a unified long-term care budget that allows seniors and the disabled more flexibility to choose community-based care