According to the Dayton Business Journal, a state panel rolled out their recommendations for covering Ohio residents who are uninsured.  The report “Covering Ohio’s Uninsured” has been in the works since last summer.

The objective of the proposed plan would cover 500,000 of Ohio’s 1.3 million uninsured by the year 2011.

Some of the recommendations laid out in the report include

1. Extend Ohio health insurance coverage to dependents on group health plans up to age 29.
2. Create a state-sponsored reinsurance program to provide affordable health insurance coverage to uninsured small businesses, sole proprietors, workers and individuals.
3. Provide premium assistance for low wage employees, who could otherwise not afford health insurance
4. Enroll uninsured Ohio residents already eligible for Medicaid into the program, and expand Medicaid eligibility limits to higher-income levels.