Ohio Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor, a vocal Obamacare opponent, says she fears the state will have “little control” over mandated health-insurance exchanges, whether they’re run by the federal government or the Kasich administration. Taylor, as head of the Ohio Department of Insurance, is responsible for creating the health-insurance exchange, reports the
Columbus Dispatch.
However, she and other in Gov. John Kasich’s government say Washington is not clear about the benefits the plan must offer.
“At the end of the day — regardless of federal-run or state-run exchange — I feel we’re going to have little control in the decisions that we need to make to do what’s best for Ohio and do what’s best for Ohio consumers,” Taylor said in a speech to members of the Columbus Association of Health Underwriters.
This past fall, Taylor co-sponsored a resolution that encourages the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Congress to change a provision in the law that she claims could hurt health insurance agents and brokers. She says the agents can work with coverage that best helps families, but that could change with the exchange.
The Kasich administration has until June to enact the statewide exchange, or the federal government will step in to establish the program.
Columbus Association of Health Underwriters President Chris Heiberger supports a state-based exchange, but worries about how federal regulations will affect private health-care jobs.
“Not only does it damage all those companies and businesses that are working in that industry within Ohio, it puts a lot of people out of jobs.” Heiberger said. “I think those are things we feel are most frustrating. We want to be able to continue to have a vibrant private health insurance market. The law is the law. We may not all agree with it, but it’s here.”
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