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Price of Ohioans Health Care Premiums Growing Seven Times Faster Than Their Paychecks

Washington DC -based Families USA looked at how much workers are paying for health care insurance premiums around the country. The nonprofit compared its findings to prices nearly ten years ago, from the year 2000. In Ohio, the study found that the price tag for family insurance premiums has gone up 84 percent over the last decade.

Ron Pollock heads Families USA, a nonprofit that supports healthcare reform.

Ron Pollock: These increasing premium costs are purchasing thinner coverage: coverage that comes with higher deductibles, higher co-payments, and lesser coverage.

The study also found that we're not getting fatter paychecks to pay these bills. Median earnings for Ohio workers only rose less than 12 percent since the year 2000.

Neighboring state Michigan had the highest ratio of health care premium growth compared to earnings. Pollock says that's because of job losses in the state's hard hit automotive industry. Mhari Saito, 90.3.