Ohio’s bid to end ACA mandate rejected

Federal regulators rejected Ohio’s request to free the state from the individual mandate under Obamacare that required most Americans to have health insurance.

Ohio’s request was deemed incomplete by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, but state officials were invited to make changes and resubmit it.

The Republicancontrolled General Assembly directed Gov. John Kasich’s administration last year to submit the application, but at this point, the request is somewhat moot. The federal tax law signed in December lifted Obamacare’s tax penalties on those who fail to carry health insurance beginning next year, although the mandate will remain in place.

“We received the administration’s response yesterday and are currently reviewing it to determine potential next steps,” said Chris Brock, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Insurance, on Friday.

The free-market Buckeye Institute criticized the decision to reject Ohio’s request, calling it disappointing and confusing.

“The Ohio application does not impact health coverage, according to actuarial evidence,” the group said in a statement. “While Health and Human Services told states it would work with them to use innovation waivers to ease the burden of the Affordable Care Act, in practice HHS has been inflexible. Its refusal to rescind Obama-era guidance regarding (such requests) reinforces that message of inflexibility.”

In a two-page letter to Ohio Insurance Director Jillian Froment, federal regulators listed several things missing from the state’s request.

The state, “among other things, must provide coverage that is at least as comprehensive and affordable as that provided under Title I of (the Affordable Care Act), and must provide coverage to at least a comparable number of its residents as the provision of Title I of (the Affordable Care Act) would provide,” the letter stated.

The state also failed to include its reason for wanting the mandate lifted.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a majority of Ohioans — 51 percent — have employersponsored health insurance, while 22 percent have tax-funded coverage through Medicaid, and 15 percent are on Medicaid. Five percent buy private coverage, and 1 percent have other governmentpaid insurance.

About 6 percent are uninsured, down from 12 percent in 2013.