Ohio Department of Insurance Consumer Services

Ohio recently implemented the federal HCTC Program which will pay up to 65 percent of the cost of qualified health coverage for eligible Ohioans who have lost their jobs or pension benefits due to economic changes related to foreign trade issues. People who are potentially eligible for the tax credit include:

1. Individuals receiving a Trade Readjustment Allowance (TRA);
2. Individuals who would be eligible to receive TRA, but have not yet exhausted their unemployment insurance benefits;
3. Individuals receiving benefits under the Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) program; and
4. Individuals who are between the ages of 55 and 64 who are receiving pension benefits from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC).

There are certain criteria that disqualify a person from receiving the tax credit, such as entitlement to Medicare Part A, enrollment in Medicare Part B, enrollment in certain other health coverage programs, and imprisonment.

To determine your eligibility, you should contact the HCTC program at 1-866-628-HCTC (4282).

In order to take advantage of the health coverage tax credit, you must purchase coverage through one of several approved health insurance options. In Ohio, the qualified options include:

• Federal COBRA continuation coverage, unless the employer/former employer pays at least 50% of the cost of coverage;
• Spousal coverage, if the employer (or employee through pre-tax contributions) pays less than 50% of the cost of coverage;
• Individual coverage in which the HCTC candidate was enrolled at least 30 days prior to separation from the job that made him or her eligible for TRA benefits, ATAA benefits, or payments from the PBGC;
• Continuation coverage under Ohio’s mini-COBRA laws (R.C. 3923.38 and 1751.53), which extend to insured employers with less than 20 employees not subject to Federal COBRA;
• Qualified coverage provided by an approved health insurance carrier, which in Ohio includes HCTC coverage provided by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield - Ohio (Anthem); Kaiser Permanente (Kaiser).

First, you must confirm that you are eligible for the tax credit by contacting the HCTC Consumer Hotline (1-866-628-HCTC) or by filling out a registration form you may have received in the mail. Once you have done this, you may find out more about the private insurance plans qualified for the tax credit by contacting Anthem or Kaiser directly, as follows:

Anthem 1-888-482-6847
Important note: Anthem’s plan covers the entire state.

Kaiser 1-800-551-5353
Important note: Kaiser’s plan is available only to individuals who reside in the following counties: Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Summit, Portage, Wayne, Medina and Stark.

To find out more about the HCTC program, you can go onto the IRS website at www.irs.gov and search the key word “HCTC”. You may also call the HCTC Customer Contact Center at 1-866-628-HCTC (4282).

If you have other insurance related questions, you can contact the Ohio Department of Insurance, Consumer Services Division at 1-800-686-1526.