The Ohio Chamber of Commerce Teams with CareSource to Expand Coverage to Small Business Owners
Dayton, Ohio (PRWEB) December 11, 2014 -- The Ohio Chamber of Commerce, the state’s leading business advocate, has teamed with CareSource, one of Ohio’s largest nonprofit health plans, to offer the small business community health insurance for individual employees who do not have coverage, and are eligible through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Employees can shop for this coverage through the Ohio Chamber Benefits Marketplace at http://www.ohiochamberbenefits.com.
Approximately 60 percent of small businesses with 50 or fewer workers did not offer health benefits to employees whereas 97 percent of businesses with more than 100 workers provided health benefits.*
According to a 2007 Milken Institute study, “An Unhealthy America The Economic Burden of Chronic Disease,” estimated that lost productivity from seven chronic diseases amounted to $1.1 trillion in 2003 and will reach $3.4 trillion in 2023 if nothing changes.** Many small businesses bear their share of that burden.
The Ohio Chamber, representing more than 8,000 employers, has developed a plan through the Ohio Chamber Benefit Marketplace to help Ohio employers access health care as a way of increasing productivity for employees. The plan focuses on understanding how the Health Insurance Marketplace works, tax credit subsidies, and penalties for not providing insurance.
The Ohio Chamber Benefit Marketplace can be accessed at http://www.ohiochamberbenefits.com. For individual policies select the “Individual” icon; for business coverage select the icon based on number of employees.
“Small-business owners and their employees are an important part of the state’s workforce. By helping small businesses, we help employees and their families realize better health, reduce future costs, and enhance economic competitiveness. At CareSource, we have a 25-year history of helping uninsured populations and we welcome this outreach opportunity,” said Pam Morris President and CEO of CareSource.
“We understand that the cost of health insurance can cripple a company – small or large – which is why we established the Ohio Chamber Benefits Marketplace,” said Andrew E. Doehrel, president & CEO of the Ohio Chamber. “Our marketplace is not only easy to use, but with the addition of CareSource, we now offer a wide-range of products for both individuals and employers.”
Ohio companies can learn more about the CareSource collaboration by visiting the Ohio Chamber Health Care Marketplace at http://www.ohiochamberbenefits.com.
Since 1893, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce has been a champion for Ohio business. With over 8,000 members in Ohio and across the country, we support free enterprise so that our state enjoys economic growth and prosperity for all.
CareSource, a nonprofit health plan is celebrating 25 years as one of the nation’s largest Managed Medicaid Plans. Headquartered in Dayton, CareSource serves more than 1.3 million consumers in Ohio and Kentucky. CareSource is living its mission to make a difference in our members’ lives by improving their health and well-being. CareSource understands the challenges consumers face navigating the health system and works to put health care in reach for those it serves.
Open enrollment through the Health Insurance Marketplace continues through Sunday, Feb. 15, 2015
*Kaiser Family Foundation – Explaining Health Reform: How will the Affordable Care Act affect Small Business and their Employees – 2012
**Dec 06, 2009 - BUSINESS, HEALTH, PUBLIC POLICY
Fran Robinson, CareSource, http://www.caresource.com, +1 (937) 531-2374, [email protected]
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