Analysis finds individual premiums to vary significantly

A Columbus Dispatch analysis of proposed insurance-company rates the Ohio Department of Insurance has made public found that individual insurance premiums could vary substantially based on age, tobacco use and geographic region (source: “Health care insurance exchanges take shape,” Columbus Dispatch, July 14, 2013).

The plans, which will be offered on the federally run health insurance marketplace (formerly know as exchanges), still must be approved by the Ohio Department of Insurance and are subject to change before the end of the month.

One example in price variations, according to the analysis, is that Chillicothe residents would pay nearly 37 percent more for the same coverage through Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield than residents of Canton. But for Medical Mutual of Ohio coverage, they would pay 18 percent more than Canton residents.

“It’s extremely important for people to wait until the new marketplaces are up and running to evaluate what makes the most sense for them in terms of individual or family coverage,” said HPIO President Amy Rohling McGee.

About 7 percent of Ohioans are expected to access health coverage through the individual market by 2017.