Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Medigap topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee hears supporters of Medigap expansion for Medicare-eligible under‑65 patients, including ALS and dialysis advocates
Summary
House Bill 24 would let Medicare-eligible Ohioans under 65 buy Medigap (Medicare Supplement) coverage and allow a one-time look-back enrollment window; proponents said it would reduce out-of-pocket costs and lower future Medicaid spending, while witnesses described clinical impacts for ALS and dialysis patients.
Columbus — The Ohio House Insurance Committee held a second hearing on House Bill 24, a proposal to allow Medicare-eligible Ohioans younger than 65 to purchase Medigap (Medicare Supplement) coverage and to create a one-time six‑month look-back enrollment window for currently eligible non‑dual beneficiaries.
Proponents said the bill would close a gap that affects people with ALS and end‑stage renal disease (ESRD), who can qualify for Medicare before age 65. "If you live in Ohio and have the misfortune to develop and be diagnosed with ALS and you are under the age of 65, you do not have the same legal ability to use your own money to purchase supplemental Medicare" coverage, said Alex Meixner of the ALS Association, who described patient stories and said the bill mirrors statutes in 17 other states.
Elizabeth Lively, Eastern Region Advocacy Director for Dialysis Patient Citizens, said Medigap coverage reduces the 20% out‑of‑pocket Medicare responsibility that can cost dialysis patients up to $16,000 a year and is often needed to secure access to transplant wait lists. "In order to get on that active wait list, patients need to go through an extensive medical screening and also a financial screening," Lively said, adding that Medigap helps transplant programs accept patients with verified financial ability to follow post‑transplant care.
Witnesses and an independent actuarial study submitted with testimony said the fiscal impact on the overall Medigap market would be small. Alex Meixner cited a Health Management Associates analysis projecting a 0.2% average premium increase across the Medigap pool (about $0.40 per month) and noted the bill could generate up to $3.2 million in Medicaid savings over five years by preventing some patients from spending down to Medicaid.
Committee members asked technical questions about underwriting and switching carriers. Chairman Lampton asked whether moving from one carrier's plan G to another would require new medical underwriting; Meixner said the bill preserves a special enrollment window and would not subject a switching enrollee to new medical underwriting, the provision designed to match the initial six‑month enrollment circumstances.
Proponents emphasized patient stories: Meixner read from testimony by Angelina Fanus of Strongsville, who described delays and denials she experienced on Medicare Advantage and the difficulty of getting a power wheelchair approved. Lively described how the lack of Medigap access can prevent transplant listing and can force patients to spend down assets to qualify for Medicaid.
No committee vote occurred at the hearing. The committee received additional written proponent testimony from patient and disease organizations and concluded the second hearing on House Bill 24.
