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Affordable Health Insurance in Ohio: What Most People Don't Know
Five facts most Ohioans learn the expensive way.
1. "Affordable" on the marketplace means subsidized
HealthCare.gov prices are designed to be offset by the premium tax credit. Without it, you're paying the full cost of a guaranteed-issue pool.
2. There's a second market
Private shared-network plans on Cigna, Aetna and PHCS PPO price on health instead of income. For healthy people above the subsidy line they're often half the price, with a PPO.
3. Your doctor probably takes the PPO, not the HMO
National PPO networks are what most employer plans use. Many doctors in Columbus and Cleveland are in the Cigna, Aetna and PHCS PPO network and not in the narrow marketplace HMOs.
4. You can enroll in a private plan any month
No waiting for November. Apply by the 20th, coverage on the 1st.
5. The deduction applies either way
Ohio has a state income tax and many cities add their own, so the self-employed health premium deduction helps at the federal and local level.
And one Ohio-specific thing
Ohio's three big metros each have their own dominant health systems, so people who live in one city and work or travel in another often need a network that crosses them.
Check your options to see what affordable actually looks like for your situation.