Mapping Health Spending and Insurance Coverage in Ohio provides an overview of Ohio health care system, along with estimates of the total costs of health spending in the state. Two ancillary white papers were released in conjunction with this report. For these papers, please see Coverage Expansion Reform Options for Ohio and A Review of Health Coverage Expansion Strategies and Lessons for Ohio. More information on the forum associated with these papers is available at Mapping Health Spending and Insurance Coverage in Ohio.

Mapping Health Spending and Insurance Coverage in Ohio

Download Mapping Health Spending and Insurance Coverage in Ohio
(May 2007, pdf format, 1 MB)

Download Executive Summary of Mapping Health Spending and Insurance Coverage in Ohio
(May 2007, pdf format, .5 MB)

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This report represents an important first step in a study to develop and analyze proposals to reform and improve the health care system in Ohio: mapping the state’s current health care terrain. This involves estimating total health care spending in Ohio and breaking that down into its main components (e.g., Medicare and Medicaid, employer and employee spending, individually purchased health insurance). We also calculated the direct and indirect costs of caring for the uninsured. In addition, this report illustrates how Ohio compares to other states and the nation on a range of public health indicators.

Building on our estimates of how much is spent on healthcare in Ohio and how much spending for care for the uninsured is already in the system, we project the net cost of expanding coverage. This knowledge paves the way for understanding policy choices for expanding coverage and making decisions. What is clear is that Ohio’s health care system and economy are bearing a substantial burden as a result of having 12 percent of its population uninsured. The challenge is how to better invest in continuous health insurance coverage so that spending will yield a return of better health, greater financial security, and improved productivity.

The following are some highlights of this report.

• Ohioans spend a total of $62.2 billion in 2006 on non-institutional healthcare.
• $3.6 billion is currently spent by and on behalf of the uninsured for health care that meets approximately half of their needs. In addition, the indirect cost associated with the lack of insurance imposes a burden of an additional $2.1 to $5.8 billion in lost productivity.
• A six percent increase ($3.9 billion) in health spending would provide universal coverage that expands coverage to 12 percent of the population. This is less than the annual cost increases in health care or the costs of health insurance administration. Slowing the rate of growth in health care costs or improving administrative efficiency could substantially offset the cost of covering the uninsured.
• Ohio mirrors the national health care dilemma: high costs, widespread lack of insurance coverage, insufficient investment in primary care and chronic illness management, burgeoning technology, and significant disparities – geographic, ethnic, racial, economic – in access to and quality of care.
• Approximately 12 percent of the population is uninsured, somewhat below the national average of 16 percent.
• On most key indicators, the health status of Ohioans ranks below the national average; the number of Ohioans who smoke is particularly high.
• Ohio spends more on nursing homes than almost all other states while spending less on children than almost all other states.