Ohio Senator Jon Husted’s Campaign Contributions and Rising Insurance Rates
Throughout his political journey, Ohio Senator Jon Husted has received over $679,000 from insurance companies and their executives. Meanwhile, these companies are raising insurance rates for Ohio residents.
Sen. Husted, a Republican, began his political career in the Ohio House of Representatives in 2000, later serving in the state Senate by 2008. After becoming lieutenant governor in 2018, he was appointed to the U.S. Senate last year, replacing Vice President J.D. Vance.
Campaign finance records indicate the backing of Husted’s initial campaigns by major insurers such as Anthem (now Elevance Health), Medical Mutual of Ohio, and UnitedHealth Group, alongside their affiliated political action committees (PACs). Over the years, other supporters included CareSource, Buckeye Community Health Plan, Summa Health Systems, and Centene.
Recently, Husted’s campaign filings for the end of 2025 revealed a new donor: America’s Health Insurance Plans PAC, a trade group representing insurance companies.
The supporting companies are now implementing higher rates for Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans in Ohio, with Buckeye Community Health Plan increasing rates by 27.25% and UnitedHealth Group by 30.9%.
Paramount Insurance Company has enacted the steepest rise, with rates going up by 37%.
Commenting on the increases, a spokesperson for Centene, owning the largest share of Ohioans insured under Obamacare through Buckeye Community Health Plan, explained to the Ohio Capital Journal that these adjustments are vital to accommodate patient demand.
“Over the past several months, we have been working closely with Ohio regulators and their third-party actuaries to balance rising health care costs with the needs of Ohio citizens,” the spokesperson stated. “Our rate adjustments reflect higher-than-expected care needs than in previous years, including increased hospitalizations, emergency room utilization, and behavioral health services.”
Centene reported a gross profit of $16.8 billion for 2024.
These rate hikes coincide with the expiration of enhanced ACA tax credits, which had kept insurance premiums affordable for 22 million Americans, including 500,000 in Ohio. On January 13, Husted opposed a bipartisan proposal to extend these credits for three more years, as mentioned in an ABC 6 report.
Sen. Husted is campaigning for his first full U.S. Senate term this year, with former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown likely to be his opponent.
A December poll by Emerson College indicated that nearly half of Ohio voters prioritize economic issues, particularly affordability, in the upcoming election.
