Letter to the House and Senate Insurance Committees Re: Health Care Affordability and Employer-Sponsored Coverage
OAHP is proud to join a broad coalition of Ohio business and health care organizations in urging the House and Senate Insurance Committees to reject legislation that would drive up health care costs for employers and employees. Below is a letter signed by our coalition and sent to Chairman Wilson of the Senate Insurance Committee. The letter was also sent to Chairman Lampton of the House Insurance Committee.
The letter was signed by the Northern Ohio Area Chambers of Commerce (NOACC), Southern Ohio Chamber Alliance (SOCA), Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce, McGohanBrabender, Ohio Association of Health Plans, CVS Health, Medical Mutual, UnitedHealthcare, The Health Plan, Gallagher, Homestead Insurance Agency Inc., The Lead Consulting Group LLC, Ohio Employers Against Healthcare Hikes, Ohio Insurance Agents (OIA), HUB, Anthem, and AFP Ohio.
May 11, 2026
Chairman Wilson
Senate Insurance Committee
1 Capitol Square
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Dear Chairman Wilson,
On behalf of the business community represented by the organizations identified above, we write today to offer our concerns with multiple bills that have been introduced in this General Assembly, which would increase health care costs for employers.
Health insurance is often the number two expense for employers. For this reason, the cost of health insurance is a priority focus for large and small businesses. In fact, the NFIB’s Research Foundations 2024 Problems and Priorities publication had the cost of health insurance listed as the top concern of their members[1]. Additionally, according to the NFIB’s most recent healthcare priority study, members shared they want to eliminate one-size-fits-all mandates that drive up the cost of care.[2]
According to the KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey, annual family premiums for Ohio employer-sponsored health insurance averaged $22,618 in 2024. On average, Ohio workers contributed $5,695 toward the cost of family premium, with employers paying the $16,923 difference[3]. Despite both employers and health plans working to maintain costs, concerns continue to grow around the future affordability of employer-sponsored healthcare. A recent March KFF poll of registered voters found that 57% of voters are worried about affording prescription drugs for themselves and their families, the largest share since KFF first polled on this question in 2018. Clearly, the trend for affordability and Ohioan’s concerns are growing, not subsiding.
In addition, current inflationary trends suggest that larger increases are imminent. However, given the tight labor market, employers have fewer options – like reducing benefits or increasing cost sharing for employees – because they know that without offering a benefit as essential as affordable health insurance, they will face difficulties attracting and retaining employees.
Employers and health insurers often work together to find ways to decrease unnecessary costs. However, bills such as: HB 8, biomarkers; HB 219, network adequacy; HB 220, prior authorization requirements; SB 160, medication switching; and SB 207, copay accumulator, attack multiple tools employers currently use to combat unnecessary spending and instead, erode at the right of an employer to contract for healthcare as they see fit.
Unfortunately, the bills stated above move the health care affordability needle in the wrong direction and insert the government between an employer and their employee. Among other matters, the bills encourage the use of high-cost drugs unnecessarily, encourage improper site of care, eliminate negotiation ability, and/or interfere in private contracting.
We ask that you not pass bills that have a negative impact on health care affordability, such as the ones previously cited and instead consider legislation that would get to the root cost of health care while maintaining the quality-of-care employers and employees have come to expect. This is the only way to truly impact affordability and provide some much-needed relief to both employers and employees.
[1] https://www.nfib.com/news/news/new-nfib-ohio-survey-inflation-taxes-and-uncertainty-dominate-concerns-for-main-street/
[2] Healthcare Priorities.pdf
[3] https://www.kff.org/state-health-facts/
