Two Democratic state lawmakers have proposed a plan for universal health-care coverage for Ohio: the "Ohio Health Security Act."
Reps. Teresa Fedor of Toledo and Bernadine Kennedy Kent of Columbus say their plan would ensure all Ohioans have health insurance – including the 1.5 million who don’t have it now. Debbie Silversteen with the Single Payer Action Network of Ohio says because the system would be publicly funded, that means taxes.
“We are already paying through taxes about two-thirds of the health care cost in this nation. The one-third that we’re not paying for are generally healthy people between 18 and 64. So it’s not that much more to add those people in.”
Other states that have investigated single-payer insurance have found the price tag is in the billions.
Democrats are in a very small minority in the Ohio Legislature, and Republican House Speaker Cliff Rosenberger said he doesn’t expect the idea to go over well with his colleagues.
Click here for a Politifact examination of the claims over the cost of single-payer insurance.
