WASHINGTON, D.C. – A new report released today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that failure to pass health insurance reform could lead to 1.7 million uninsured Ohioans in the next ten years, with health costs in the state increasing by nearly 59 percent. In response to this report, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) issued the following statement:
“Inaction on health insurance reform is not an option. Ohio insurance premiums have almost doubled in the past nine years, far outpacing wages. Today’s report tells us that health costs will increase by another 59 percent in the next ten years, leaving up to 1.7 million Ohioans uninsured.
“The status quo might be working for big insurance companies, but it’s not working for Ohio middle class families or small businesses. In our state, two insurance companies control more than 58 percent of the marketplace. Insurance company CEOs are making millions each year, while Ohio families and businesses struggle to afford health care.
“Health insurance reform isn’t only a moral issue – it’s a matter of economic competiveness. If we’re going to get our economy back on track, we need to ensure that American businesses are not shouldered with unsustainable rises in health costs and hardworking Ohio families are not one emergency visit away from financial disaster. I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will choose Ohio families and businesses over big insurance companies.”
###
