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by JESSE CAIN
Employees at East Ohio Regional Hospital have reached out to NEWS9 with concerns about their health insurance coverage – or lack thereof.
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MARTINS FERRY, Ohio — Employees at East Ohio Regional Hospital have reached out to NEWS9 with concerns about their health insurance coverage – or lack thereof.
Some have shared documents claiming their health insurance coverage was terminated on Feb. 17.
For the pay period from Feb. 2-15, medical insurance was deducted. Other information shares that on the 20th, the chief operating officer of the hospital informed employees that the financial situation is being addressed with the insurance provider.
Furthermore, the email urged employees to continue to utilize their insurance coverages.
"All medical services offered here at East Ohio continue to be available, and for those that need to seek healthcare outside the system, those services will be covered, as well,” it said.
On Thursday night, during the Martins Ferry School Board meeting, there were public comments about the hospital's tax situation. NEWS9 investigated it, and according to the Belmont County auditor's website, one of the parcels owned by Access Martins Ferry LLC., has an outstanding value of more than $1.5 million in taxes due. These funds have not gone back into the community.
“It substantially harms them,” Belmont County Treasurer Katherine Kelich said. “This is something serious because when you're looking at this much money in tax dollars, this is what everyone budgets for. This is what every governmental agency and school budgets for, the anticipation of what they're expected to receive.
The property the hospital is on is certified delinquent since 2019. The due date for the payment is 2/21. And if a substantial payment is not made, the next step is a troubling one.
"If it's not postmarked by today's date, then we're going to be looking at proceeding into a foreclosure action,” Kelich said. “We have gone too long without a payment and just like the hospital, it lingered too long. It needs to be addressed. It doesn't look like we're getting anywhere with it."
NEWS9 has reached out to the hospital on multiple occasions with its response being "no comment."
