Gaining Individual Ohio Health Insurance

Getting individual health insurance

If you cannot get health insurance through an employer or a government-sponsored program such as Medicare or Medicaid, you may be able to buy or access coverage for yourself and your family through individual coverage.

My job doesn't offer a health plan. I've looked for coverage and no private company will cover me. What can I do?

Here are some of your options:

• Open enrollment: Ohio insurance companies must hold open enrollment at specified times each year. The coverage is guaranteed issue. This means the company cannot deny you coverage. However, enrollment in any plan ends when the insurance company has taken a required percentage of new insureds or the specified enrollment period has ended.
• Professional associations: You may qualify to join a professional, fraternal or civic association that offers health insurance to its members. Check in your city or county for such possibilities.
• Government-sponsored: Medicare provides health insurance to people age 65 or older, and people under age 65 who have certain disabilities. Medicaid is health insurance for people with limited income and resources. You may qualify for one program or both.

Where can I ind information on open enrollment? Is this a good option?

Visit the Ohio Department of Insurance web site (www.ohioinsurance.gov) or call the Department's Consumer Services Division: 1-800-686-1526.

Open enrollment can be a good option, depending on what else is available to you.

If you're eligible, health insurance through open enrollment is guaranteed issue so you cannot be turned down. In general, people who apply through open enrollment have pre-existing conditions. The premiums are more expensive than health policies that are medically underwritten.

I'm looking for part-time work. Will I have health insurance?

No employer is required to offer health insurance. However, you should be offered the same health benefits as any other employee if:

• Insurance is offered by the employer, and
• The group is between two and 50 people and your normal work week is 25 hours or more.