Ohio Senate committee hears competing testimony on SB 100 to authorize Farm Bureau health plans

Summary

At a third hearing for Senate Bill 100, health advocacy groups warned the bill would expose Ohioans with preexisting conditions to financial and medical risk, while farm representatives and a Farm Bureau administrator said the plans provide affordable coverage for farm families who fall outside subsidy eligibility.

COLUMBUS — The Senate Financial Institutions, Insurance and Technology Committee held a third hearing on Senate Bill 100, which would allow nonprofit agricultural membership organizations to offer Farm Bureau health plans that are not classified as state-regulated health insurance. Testimony came from public-health and patient-advocacy groups opposed to the bill and from farmers and Farm Bureau representatives who urged lawmakers to approve the change.

Advocates representing illness-specific and patient-advocacy organizations told the committee SB 100 would expose Ohioans with preexisting conditions to “financial and health risk.” Kezia Ofosuwata, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association in Ohio, said the proposed Farm Bureau plans would not be required to provide the same protections as marketplace plans and “expose and release to financial and health risk inherent in substandard coverage.” She told senators those products could use “misleading and deceptive marketing practices,” charge higher premiums to people with preexisting lung disease, or decline coverage.

Lee Almeida, Ohio…

Ohio Senate committee hears competing testimony on SB 100 to authorize Farm Bureau health plans

Summary

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