Cross-posted from the archived Media Trackers Ohio site.
Young women in every Ohio county will see higher health insurance premiums because of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare, based on policy quotes from eHealth and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Conventional wisdom is that young men should expect their premiums to increase because of costly Obamacare mandates. Obamacare has been billed as a boon for women because it requires all plans to cover maternity care and forbids insurers from charging men and women different rates.
However, a comparison of current policies and Obamacare-compliant policies listed by HHS shows that young men won’t be the only Ohioans facing premium hikes starting January 1, as existing plans start to be replaced by plans meeting the requirements of Democrats’ 2010 health law.
The amounts depicted in the above map are also listed in the table below. Premium differences were calculated by comparing basic policy quotes from eHealth with HHS quotes for Obamacare “Gold” plans with comparable annual deductibles.
In 38 of Ohio’s 88 counties, even the cheapest Obamacare “Catastrophic” plan will have a higher premium than the cheapest existing policy listed at eHealth with a deductible of $1,750 or less.
Catastrophic plans will typically have deductibles three to four times higher than the current policies Media Trackers used for this analysis.
| County | Current policy w/deductible of $1,750 or less: Female nonsmoker, Age 27 | Obamacare Catastrophic Plan, Age 27 | Obamacare Gold Plan, Age 27 | Annual Change, Obamacare Catastrophic vs. Current Policy | Annual Change, Obamacare Gold vs. Current Policy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | $140.73 | $147.82 | $259.80 | $85 | $1,429 |
| Allen | $158.74 | $146.65 | $266.35 | -$145 | $1,291 |
| Ashland | $134.87 | $126.87 | $280.30 | -$96 | $1,745 |
| Ashtabula | $141.36 | $121.28 | $271.12 | -$241 | $1,557 |
| Athens | $128.03 | $127.62 | $295.18 | -$5 | $2,006 |
| Auglaize | $158.74 | $146.65 | $266.35 | -$145 | $1,291 |
| Belmont | $121.29 | $114.45 | $264.73 | -$82 | $1,721 |
| Brown | $140.73 | $147.82 | $244.85 | $85 | $1,249 |
| Butler | $140.73 | $119.42 | $202.19 | -$256 | $738 |
| Carroll | $120.60 | $126.87 | $266.62 | $75 | $1,752 |
| Champaign | $128.03 | $152.64 | $287.68 | $295 | $1,916 |
| Clark | $128.03 | $152.64 | $263.46 | $295 | $1,625 |
| Clermont | $140.73 | $147.82 | $244.85 | $85 | $1,249 |
| Clinton | $140.73 | $147.82 | $259.80 | $85 | $1,429 |
| Columbiana | $121.29 | $113.78 | $263.18 | -$90 | $1,703 |
| Coshocton | $140.30 | $142.88 | $310.37 | $31 | $2,041 |
| Crawford | $136.44 | $134.42 | $300.50 | -$24 | $1,969 |
| Cuyahoga | $151.74 | $121.28 | $245.41 | -$366 | $1,124 |
| Darke | $128.03 | $152.64 | $287.68 | $295 | $1,916 |
| Defiance | $142.75 | $135.20 | $235.99 | -$91 | $1,119 |
| Delaware | $128.03 | $150.55 | $244.85 | $270 | $1,402 |
| Erie | $136.44 | $131.69 | $287.72 | -$57 | $1,815 |
| Fairfield | $128.03 | $150.55 | $244.85 | $270 | $1,402 |
| Fayette | $128.03 | $150.55 | $321.91 | $270 | $2,327 |
| Franklin | $128.03 | $150.55 | $244.85 | $270 | $1,402 |
| Fulton | $141.99 | $135.20 | $235.57 | -$81 | $1,123 |
| Gallia | $140.44 | $132.72 | $306.99 | -$93 | $1,999 |
| Geauga | $147.85 | $121.28 | $245.41 | -$319 | $1,171 |
| Greene | $128.03 | $152.64 | $263.46 | $295 | $1,625 |
| Guernsey | $140.30 | $142.88 | $310.37 | $31 | $2,041 |
| Hamilton | $140.73 | $119.42 | $202.19 | -$256 | $738 |
| Hancock | $158.74 | $146.65 | $266.35 | -$145 | $1,291 |
| Hardin | $128.03 | $146.65 | $291.85 | $223 | $1,966 |
| Harrison | $121.29 | $114.45 | $264.73 | -$82 | $1,721 |
| Henry | $142.75 | $135.20 | $235.99 | -$91 | $1,119 |
| Highland | $140.73 | $147.82 | $259.80 | $85 | $1,429 |
| Hocking | $128.03 | $152.64 | $341.22 | $295 | $2,558 |
| Holmes | $134.87 | $126.87 | $280.30 | -$96 | $1,745 |
| Huron | $136.44 | $131.69 | $235.99 | -$57 | $1,195 |
| Jackson | $140.44 | $132.72 | $306.99 | -$93 | $1,999 |
| Jefferson | $121.29 | $114.45 | $264.73 | -$82 | $1,721 |
| Knox | $128.03 | $150.55 | $288.97 | $270 | $1,931 |
| Lake | $151.74 | $121.28 | $245.41 | -$366 | $1,124 |
| Lawrence | $140.44 | $132.72 | $306.99 | -$93 | $1,999 |
| Licking | $128.03 | $150.55 | $244.85 | $270 | $1,402 |
| Logan | $128.03 | $150.55 | $321.91 | $270 | $2,327 |
| Lorain | $151.74 | $121.28 | $245.41 | -$366 | $1,124 |
| Lucas | $141.99 | $135.20 | $235.57 | -$81 | $1,123 |
| Madison | $128.03 | $150.55 | $244.85 | $270 | $1,402 |
| Mahoning | $121.29 | $113.78 | $263.18 | -$90 | $1,703 |
| Marion | $128.03 | $151.73 | $288.97 | $284 | $1,931 |
| Medina | $134.87 | $126.87 | $254.13 | -$96 | $1,431 |
| Meigs | $128.03 | $127.62 | $295.18 | -$5 | $2,006 |
| Mercer | $158.74 | $146.65 | $266.35 | -$145 | $1,291 |
| Miami | $128.03 | $152.64 | $263.46 | $295 | $1,625 |
| Monroe | $140.44 | $114.45 | $264.73 | -$312 | $1,491 |
| Montgomery | $128.03 | $129.34 | $218.99 | $16 | $1,092 |
| Morgan | $140.44 | $114.45 | $264.73 | -$312 | $1,491 |
| Morrow | $128.03 | $151.73 | $244.85 | $284 | $1,402 |
| Muskingum | $140.30 | $142.88 | $310.37 | $31 | $2,041 |
| Noble | $140.30 | $114.45 | $264.73 | -$310 | $1,493 |
| Ottawa | $142.75 | $131.69 | $235.99 | -$133 | $1,119 |
| Paulding | $158.74 | $146.65 | $291.85 | -$145 | $1,597 |
| Perry | $140.30 | $142.88 | $310.37 | $31 | $2,041 |
| Pickaway | $128.03 | $150.55 | $244.85 | $270 | $1,402 |
| Pike | $140.30 | $149.25 | $333.66 | $107 | $2,320 |
| Portage | $134.87 | $126.87 | $261.07 | -$96 | $1,514 |
| Preble | $128.03 | $152.64 | $263.46 | $295 | $1,625 |
| Putnam | $158.74 | $146.65 | $266.35 | -$145 | $1,291 |
| Richland | $128.03 | $134.42 | $300.50 | $77 | $2,070 |
| Ross | $140.30 | $149.25 | $333.66 | $107 | $2,320 |
| Sandusky | $142.75 | $131.69 | $287.72 | -$133 | $1,740 |
| Scioto | $140.44 | $132.72 | $306.99 | -$93 | $1,999 |
| Seneca | $136.44 | $131.69 | $235.99 | -$57 | $1,195 |
| Shelby | $128.03 | $152.64 | $287.68 | $295 | $1,916 |
| Stark | $120.60 | $126.87 | $248.91 | $75 | $1,540 |
| Summit | $134.87 | $126.87 | $261.07 | -$96 | $1,514 |
| Trumbull | $121.29 | $113.78 | $263.18 | -$90 | $1,703 |
| Tuscarawas | $123.20 | $129.54 | $275.98 | $76 | $1,833 |
| Union | $128.03 | $150.55 | $244.85 | $270 | $1,402 |
| Van Wert | $158.74 | $146.65 | $266.35 | -$145 | $1,291 |
| Vinton | $140.30 | $132.72 | $306.99 | -$91 | $2,000 |
| Warren | $140.73 | $119.42 | $202.19 | -$256 | $738 |
| Washington | $128.03 | $127.62 | $295.18 | -$5 | $2,006 |
| Wayne | $134.87 | $126.87 | $263.46 | -$96 | $1,543 |
| Williams | $142.75 | $135.20 | $284.96 | -$91 | $1,707 |
| Wood | $141.99 | $135.20 | $235.57 | -$81 | $1,123 |
| Wyandot | $128.03 | $131.69 | $287.72 | $44 | $1,916 |