Experts: Ohioans will struggle with healthcare
Lt. Governor Jim Tressel, right, joined Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, left, on an episode of ODH’s “Healthy Perspectives with Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff” podcast. (Photo courtesy Ohio Department of Health)
Health care experts recently said that Buckeye State residents would struggle with healthcare due to rising costs, shifting coverage rules, and new legislative proposals that may reshape access to care next year.
They warned Ohioans that 2026 could bring significant hardship for families already struggling to afford insurance and medical care, according to the Ohio Capital Journal.
Researchers at the Health Policy Institute of Ohio said that ongoing federal changes, coupled with policy stalemates in Washington, D.C., could lead to significant premium increases for people buying coverage via the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare.
They said that, with enhanced tax credits set to expire at the end of 2025, annual premiums for some plans could more than double compared with this year’s rates. According to the researchers, people renewing or seeking plans during open enrollment have already witnessed the negative shift.
The challenge compounds other federal changes, such as work requirements and more frequent eligibility reviews for Medicaid recipients. The healthcare advocates said this could lead to coverage gaps and bureaucratic agitation.
“These changes are going to strain families in ways we haven’t fully grasped,” Rose Frech, director of external affairs for a Southeast Ohio health organization, said.
French and other experts warned Ohioans that many people in the state would soon be forced by the current healthcare situation to choose between basic things, such as medications, food, and transportation.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, and Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, recently introduced the Consumer Affordability and Responsibility Enhancement Act, which would cap income eligibility and eliminate zero-premium plans.
“Barack Obama and the Democratic Party created this disaster, lining the pockets of massive insurance companies while healthcare costs for everyday Americans skyrocketed,” Moreno said.
Collins added that American lawmakers need to “pursue practical solutions that increase affordability without creating sudden disruptions in coverage,” while remembering that families across the country are “struggling with the high cost of health care.”
“This bill would help prevent unaffordable increases in health insurance premium costs for many families by extending the Affordable Care Act enhanced premium tax credits for two years and putting a reasonable income cap on these subsidies to ensure they are going to the individuals who need them,” she said.
President Donald Trump also signed Sen. Jon Husted’s, R-Ohio, bipartisan bill, the Streamlined Market Access and Reform for Therapeutics Over-the-Counter Act, into law, which would help Ohioans who cannot afford medications.
“Ohioans deserve access to affordable, high-quality health care. Reducing barriers to safe medications empowers the American public to take charge of their health without the fear of burning a hole through their pocket,” he said. “With the SMART OTC Act now law, families will have access to more over-the-counter medicines.”
