Ideastream.org
By Nick Castele
Posted July 6th 2017
STEVE MARTENET, PRESIDENT ANTHEM BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OHIO
One of the nation’s largest health insurers says it will stop offering policies in the Ohio marketplace set up under the Affordable Care Act.
Anthem’s decision to leave the insurance marketplace in Ohio next year leaves about 10,500 people in 18 counties without a single exchange plan. Political reaction was swift. Republican Senate President Larry Obhof noted he wants to require the Ohio Department of Insurance to request a waiver of federal Obamacare rules he and fellow Republican House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger both called onerous. The office of Democratic US Senator Sherrod Brown blamed uncertainty created by the Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare. And Ohio Democratic Party Chair David Pepper blasted Brown’s likely Republican opponent next year, treasurer Josh Mandel, and northeast Ohio Congressman and Republican candidate for governor Jim Renacci for backing President Trump’s support of the repeal.