For Immediate Release: 6-9-17
Contact: Kirk Bampton, Campaign Manager, Constance for Ohio
https://www.constanceforohio.com/home
Columbus, Ohio: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has made the decision to withdraw from the Ohio Health Insurance Exchange. This change, taking place by year’s end, will leave residents of 18 Ohio counties without any insurance companies that participate in the federal exchange. This decision is part of a trend that has resulted in Ohio dropping to 11 participating companies from 17 since the inception of the Affordable Care Act.
It is a distressing development but the real issue is not the actions of a single insurance company, but the unfair and unsustainable health insurance system that operates on a for-profit basis. A complete overhaul of how our state manages and provides healthcare to its citizens is the only way to affect genuine progress.
An important part of my gubernatorial run is working to create a
universal, single-payer healthcare system in Ohio. This system would create unrestricted access to our state’s excellent medical facilities and eliminate the crushing burden of private health insurance.
It would relieve Ohio employers of the necessity of providing coverage to their employees, freeing up funds for research and development and the hiring of new workers. Labor mobility would increase as individuals are no longer tied to a job solely because it provides them with private insurance, and families would have more money to invest in their children.
For far too long, this state’s leaders have discussed nothing more than incremental change, which merely puts off the inevitable for another day. The time has come for the big ideas and brave reforms the people of Ohio need and deserve. The time has come for healthcare for all.