Columbus coverage guide: Franklin County and nearby suburbs

OhioHealth's Columbus-area hospitals include Riverside Methodist, Grant Medical Center, Doctors Hospital, Dublin Methodist and Grove City Methodist. The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center includes University Hospital, the James Cancer Hospital, the Ross Heart Hospital and East Hospital. Mount Carmel, part of Trinity Health, has five hospitals: Mount Carmel East, Dublin, Grove City, New Albany and St. Ann's.

If you're insuring children, Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus is the pediatric system to look for. Check whether a plan includes your specific doctors and hospitals; HMO and EPO plans generally don't cover out-of-network care except in an emergency.

New full-time Ohio State staff choose among the OPERS Traditional Pension, the OPERS Member-Directed plan and the university's Alternative Retirement Plan (ARP). Ohio State's HR materials tie possible access to retiree health care to the OPERS Traditional Pension and describe the other two as fitting people who don't need that access, so retiree health is worth understanding when you choose.

Ohio State retirees can also come from STRS Ohio, the teachers' system. STRS Ohio requires Medicare Part B for all Medicare-eligible enrollees, plus Part A if it's premium-free. Enrollees are placed in its group Medicare Advantage plan unless they opt out to its basic plan, and enrolling in any other Part D plan cancels STRS Ohio medical and prescription coverage.

Manna Financial Services is an independent agency and is not affiliated with Medicare, OPERS, STRS Ohio or Ohio State. Olive works with central Ohio clients by phone or video.