Pass Ohio HB 24 Now: Give ALS & ESRD Patients Under 65 Access to Medigap Insurance

Dear Representatives of the Ohio House Insurance Committee:

My name is Michelle Warren. In 2017, at the age of 41, I was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). I was a labor and delivery nurse for 26 years at Miami Valley Hospital, caring for women and families during one of the most important moments of their lives. Transitioning from caregiver to patient has been one of the hardest challenges of my life.

ALS is an expensive, progressive disease. Even with Medicare, the out-of-pocket costs can be devastating. In Ohio, people under 65 who qualify for Medicare because of ALS or end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are not allowed to purchase Medigap (Medicare supplement) insurance — the same coverage that people 65 and older can buy to help with the 20% of costs Medicare doesn’t cover.

This gap forces many of us to face financial ruin, deplete our savings, or eventually rely on Medicaid just to manage basic care. Approximately 410 Ohioans under 65 living with ALS and 1,772 under 65 with ESRD are affected right now.

Most of Ohio’s neighboring states — including Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, and Pennsylvania — already allow these patients to purchase Medigap coverage. Independent analysis shows that expanding access in Ohio would increase overall Medigap premiums by only about 0.2% (roughly 40 cents per month) while potentially saving the state Medicaid program an estimated $3.2 million over five years.

House Bill 24, sponsored by Representatives Jamie Callender and Bride Rose Sweeney, would close this unfair gap. The bill has had multiple hearings in the House Insurance Committee but remains stuck there.

We urge the Ohio House Insurance Committee, Chair Brian Lampton, Ranking Member, and all committee members to report HB 24 favorably and send it to the full House for a vote. We also urge Speaker of the House and Senate leaders to prioritize this common-sense, bipartisan legislation.

No one should be penalized for being diagnosed with a terminal illness before age 65. Please sign this petition and share it so Ohio can join the states that already protect their most vulnerable residents.

Thank you for standing with ALS and ESRD patients and their families.

Sincerely,

Michelle Warren

Angela King

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