May 2022
OSHIIP Celebrating 30 Years Helping Ohioans on Medicare
by Judith L. French, Director
It is an honor and a privilege for us at the Ohio Department of Insurance, as the state's insurance regulator, to serve, educate, and protect insurance consumers. It was an especially meaningful May for our Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) staff and certified volunteers, as Older Americans Month and OSHIIP's 30th-anniversary were celebrated.
Destined as a difference-maker when it launched in 1992, today, OSHIIP, the state's official Medicare education and coverage evaluation program, is blossoming. In the last few years, OSHIIP has provided services to nearly 700,000 people and saved Ohioans on Medicare $54 million. All of this while seamlessly adjusting to more engagement through technology, offering virtual individualized counseling, and special-themed webinars and town halls.
OSHIIP arrived at this point through years of hard work and commitment from its smart and passionate employees, certified volunteers, and community organization partners both past and present. Together, they have grown the OSHIIP footprint into more Ohio communities. Together, their expertise established OSHIIP as a trusted health insurance resource for those disabled under age 65 and older Ohioans, many with low and fixed incomes. And together, their efforts earned OSHIIP national acclaim for excellence and performance.
OSHIIP staff and certified volunteers have mastered the art of simplifying the complexities of Medicare, leaving those it helps feeling more confident and empowered. They resolve complex casework, enrollment, and coordination of benefits issues, and address questions about Original Medicare; Medicare Advantage managed care plans, prescription drug coverage options, supplemental insurance; financial assistance programs, long-term care insurance, and more.
To access OSHIIP's free services, including Welcome to Medicare and Medicare Check-up Days virtual and on-site outreach activities, and educational information, call the OSHIIP hotline at 800-686-1578, email OSHIIPmail@insurance.ohio.gov, and visit insurance.ohio.gov/medicare. You can follow OSHIIP on Facebook.
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Free Medicare Counseling and Webinars Available
New to Medicare? Questions about your existing Medicare plan?
Sign up for free virtual counseling and webinars with the Medicare experts from the department's Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program.
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What to Know When Filing a Homeowners Insurance Claim
Homeowners insurance is a type of property insurance that pays for losses and damages to your home if it is damaged or destroyed by fire, weather, theft, or another covered disaster. When those events happen, you’ll need to file a claim. Take time now to become more familiar with the process when filing a homeowners insurance claim.
Answers to Frequently Asked Surprise Billing Questions
Ohio's new surprise billing law protects patients from receiving and paying surprise medical bills above the patient's in-network rate from health care providers for emergency care or, in certain circumstances, unanticipated out-of-network care.
Cost-sharing amounts, which include coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles, are limited to the patient’s in-network amounts. Review these answers to frequently asked surprise billing questions to learn more.
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Severe Weather Preparation and Recovery Toolkit
Ohio's spring and summer weather is unpredictable and destructive. The Ohio Department of Insurance's Severe Weather Preparation and Recovery Toolkit can help you prepare for the worst and navigate the recovery process.
Utilize the toolkit as an accompaniment when preparing a safety plan for you and your family, and in conversations with an agent when reviewing your insurance protections. If you are facing an insurance claim-filing situation, use the toolkit for clarity on what steps to follow.
Report Insurance Fraud
Insurance fraud is illegal. If you suspect someone has committed insurance fraud, report it to the Ohio Department of Insurance.
Referrals can be made anonymously and the law protects those who report fraud from civil liability in the absence of fraud or bad faith. Individuals who commit insurance fraud may face criminal prosecution.
In addition to facing legal fees, fines, and a wide range of personal and professional consequences, an individual may be ordered to serve time in jail and repay the insurance company for the they money illegally received.
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