6/7/17 – 5:17 A.M.

A major Obamacare health insurance carrier is effectively leaving the state of Ohio. The move by health insurer Anthem leaves 18 Ohio counties without an insurer selling plans in 2018, including Hancock and Wyandot counties. Anthem sells Affordable Health Care plans known as Obamacare in 14 states. Anthem says it based its decision on what it says is the continued “volatility” in the individual health plan market as well as uncertainty that insurers will continue receiving financial reimbursements. Anthem said it also blames the restoration of a tax on insurers.

Reaction to Anthem’s announcement split along political party lines. Republican Senator Rob Portman blamed the Affordable Care Act. Portman said a lack of true competition in the market is keeping prices high. Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown blamed the potential repeal of Obamacare. He said uncertainty caused by the repeal process led to Anthem’s decision.

State Representative Robert Sprague tells the Courier the decision affects around 1,100 people in Hancock County. Dr. Bill Kose with Blanchard Valley Health System tells the newspaper while that’s not a large percentage of people it’s still not good. He added people without insurance are likely to wait longer to get treatment which can increase the cost.