Health insurance in Ohio...

Currently there are plans to try to start a signature petition drive in Ohio to deal with the issue of workers who are not allowed paid sick days. Part of the problem related to this is the lack of medical insurance that creates a scenario where people who are ill come to work because they a) can't afford to take the time off without pay or b) can not afford to go to the doctor to get the required medical slip.

One of my daughters is a prime example of this, she works in the food industry yet the only way she can call of sick (without pay) is to have a doctor's note stating she was too ill to work. However since the employer does not provide medical insurance prior to her being placed on our insurance (that we pay for) she could not afford a trip to the urgent care center or even our family doctor for the initial visit. She's not alone, just in the Toledo area alone there are over 50,000 people who have no health insurance.

I'm not sure what the reaction will be of voters in Ohio to this latest ballot effort, but I do know that access to affordable medical care is an additional problem that we as a nation and a state need to address.