Ebook

Ohio's healthcare gap: Understanding the challenges and path forward

Explore why Ohio employers are rethinking their benefits strategies—and how advanced primary care is closing the gap between rising costs and the care your people need.
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Ohio’s workforce is navigating a healthcare system under strain. With 57 of 88 counties classified as health professional shortage areas, millions of Buckeyes struggle to access care. Chronic conditions are rising, provider shortages are deepening, and costs keep climbing—making it critical for employers and labor organizations to lead with better solutions.

A healthcare provider in blue scrubs and stethoscope gently holds the hands of a seated person in a white sweater
THE OHIO LANDSCAPE

A state with healthcare challenges—and real solutions

What’s happening in Ohio

Ohio’s healthcare gap is growing. Adults face chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and depression at above-average rates, while provider shortages make care harder to access, more rushed, and more expensive.

What this means for employers

For employers and labor organizations, delayed or unaffordable care drives higher costs and worse outcomes. This eBook outlines Ohio’s care gap and a model that helps organizations respond more effectively.

THE OHIO CHALLENGE

Ohio's care gap is costing your people and organization

Buckeyes face more health challenges than the national average, and the system is not keeping up. Provider shortages, rising costs, and limited access to timely care create a difficult cycle. These challenges directly affect your claims data, absenteeism, and benefits costs.

  • 13.5% of Ohio adults live with three or more chronic conditions

  • Ohio's median annual out-of-pocket costs are $780 higher than the U.S. average

  • 67% of Buckeyes are delaying or skipping care due to cost

When people delay care, they often turn to emergency departments, leading to worsening conditions and higher costs for everyone. While Ohio's challenges are systemic, employers aren't powerless. The right benefits strategy can change the equation for your people and your organization.

A BETTER PATH FORWARD

Advanced primary care is redefining what Ohio employers can offer

Access to care that's fast, personal, and comprehensive

Advanced primary care gives employees same- or next-day appointments, more time with providers, and access to services from chronic condition management to mental health support—at little to no cost.

Proactive care that gets ahead of downstream costs

By addressing health needs early, advanced primary care reduces reliance on high-cost settings. Employers using this model have seen 41% fewer inpatient admissions and 15% fewer emergency department visits.

Outcomes that reflect the value of better care

When people have a provider they trust, outcomes improve. Ohio employers using Marathon Health have seen 68% of at-risk, engaged members reduce their health risk—with measurable gains in blood pressure, BMI, and overall well-being.

  • I switched to Marathon after feeling unheard by my previous doctor. The providers truly listened, ran the right tests, and worked with me on a plan to improve my health.

    MARATHON HEALTH PATIENT
    Ohio
GET THE EBOOK

See what better healthcare looks like for Ohio employers

Ohio's healthcare challenges are real, but so are the solutions. This eBook breaks down the data behind the state's care gap and shows how advanced primary care is helping employers take control of costs, improve outcomes, and offer benefits that make a real difference.
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