Compliance November 9, 2002

Ohio Blocks Unlicensed Trucker Health Insurer

September 11, 2002 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Ohio state insurance officials have moved to shut down an unlicensed health insurance company that had been offering medical and hospital coverage to independent truckers.
Reported by

Ohio Director of Insurance Lee Covington issued orders to cease operations to the Pennsylvania-based Over the Road Truckers Association and the Georgia-based Over the Road Truckers Health Care Fund – together known as OTR, according to a Best’s News story.

Covington’s office said five other states including Pennsylvania, Georgia, and Illinois have also tried to block the company’s operations.

OTR is accused of collecting more than $8,000 in health insurance premiums from three individuals, but failing to pay more than $3,000 in medical bills incurred by the policyholders.

According to state regulators, OTR has never been licensed as a health insurance company or a multiple employer welfare arrangement, nor is it authorized to conduct business in Ohio

Pennsylvania regulators ordered the plan to shut down in May, while Georgia regulators moved against OTR in April, the Best’s News story said.

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