Children's health insurance in Ohio

The Strickland administration has asked regulators to OK a plan to expand the Ohio health insurance program.

Ohio wants to offer health insurance coverage to children in families earning up to 250% of the federal poverty level beginning April 1. Eligibility for Ohio's SCHIP program currently is capped at 200%

State officials think the expansion would draw an additional 8,168 children into the health insurance program this year and 10,750 more in 2009.

The request comes after the Bush administration rejected Ohio's request to increase eligibility to 300% of the federal poverty level.

Ohio provides health insurance coverage for about 1 million children under the Medicaid system. An estimated 77,000 children lack health care coverage.

Florida Insurance System

Florida has one of the least effective P&C insurance systems in the country. A recent study gave Florida as well as 4 other states an 'F' Rating

The study was based on a set of nine criteria, including how prominent the states' roles are in the home and auto insurance markets and the concentration of insurance companies writing policies in a particular state.

California, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Texas joined Florida in getting an F. Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Utah and Vermont got A grades.

Florida had the worst rating in the residual homeowners category, and also scored poorly in the regulatory environment category for having an outsized influence in the setting of rates.