COLUMBUS, Ohio — Federal and Ohio officials couldn't agree on spending for a state-run stopgap health insurance plan that covers Ohioans who can't get coverage elsewhere, so the U.S. government will take it over, state officials said Tuesday.
A similar scenario is playing out in 17 other states, creating uncertainty for tens of thousands of people with serious medical conditions.
The program is part of President Barack Obama's health care law. It's meant to be a temporary patch until 2014, when the federal law will require insurers to accept all applicants, regardless of medical history. The law capped spending on the program nationally at $5 billion, and the money is running out because the beneficiaries turned out to be costlier to care for than expected.
Last month, the Obama administration gave proposed contract terms for the program's remaining months to the state-based plans. If no agreement could be reached, the federal government said it would take over that state's program for the rest of this year.
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