Strickland signs identity theft, cancer coverage bills

Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland on Tuesday signed two high-profile bills aimed at helping consumers, whether they are dealing with health coverage plans or identity theft.

The bills Strickland OK'd are:

House Bill 46 - The measure, sponsored by Reps. Tim DeGeeter, D-Parma, and Jimmy Stewart, R-Albany, sets a $5 limit to block access to a consumer's credit history from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus. Public agencies also are blocked from releasing documents containing an individual's Social Security number, while consumers have the option of having information such as credit card or bank account numbers removed from public electronic documents.
Senate Bill 186 - Sponsored by Sen. Steve Stivers, R-Columbus, the measure prohibits health coverage plans from excluding coverage for costs of a patient's routine care if the individual is participating in a clinical cancer trial. Typically, the medication or surgery is covered by the drug company or federal agency funding the research.