Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
How ACA Premium Costs Play Out In Different States
The Star Tribune: Minn. Health Premiums In Individual Market Now Considered Above Average
Big rate increases next year in the state’s individual market mean that Minnesotans who buy health insurance on their own will pay above-average premiums — a startling reversal from 2014 when individual market rates in much of the state were among the lowest in the nation. A federal report this week looked at rates for “benchmark” plans across 44 states and found a family of four in Minnesota will pay $1,396 per month for the coverage. That’s about 28 percent higher than the average across most of those states at $1,090 per month. The silver lining is that higher premiums mean bigger federal subsidies for those who qualify, with state officials suggesting there are about 100,000 people in Minnesota who haven’t been tapping tax credits even though they could get them. (Snowbeck, 10/26)
Columbus Dispatch: Obamacare Premium Spikes In Ohio To Be Soothed By Subsidies
Ohioans who get their health-care coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s federal marketplace can relax a bit; those premium spikes averaging 25 percent in the news since Monday won’t apply in many cases here. In fact, in Cleveland, according to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the premium for one popular plan used as a benchmark actually will go down by $5 for a hypothetical consumer who is 40, doesn’t smoke and earns $30,000 per year. In Columbus, according to a health-care advocacy group, the monthly premium for the same plan for the same hypothetical person will rise by about 4.5 percent. (Edwards, 10/26)
Pioneer Press: No Progress (Yet) Toward A Quick Minnesota Health Insurance Cost Fix
Gov. Mark Dayton on Tuesday sent a letter to legislative leaders asking them to come up with a plan to help those facing double-digit health insurance price increases. The DFLer’s letter underscored the request he announced last week: He would like them to draft an agreeable solution by Nov. 1, just as those who get their health insurance through the individual market will have to start deciding their 2017 coverage plans. Dayton said he would await for their response before taking further action. In Minnesota, Republicans and Democrats have expressed alarm at health insurance company’s approved plans to increase the premiums they charge to those buying coverage on the individual market. (Stassen-Berger, 10/25)
New Hampshire Union Leader: NH Gets Its Obamacare Spike
Rate increases for Obamacare on the New Hampshire marketplace are lower than the national average of 22 percent announced on Monday by the federal government, on the eve of another open enrollment season for the Affordable Care Act. The Granite State has the second-lowest increase in the country for the “benchmark” silver plan used to compare all states — a policy for a 27-year-old male. That premium increased 2 percent between 2016 and 2017. But if you compare all of the individual plans offered by New Hampshire’s two largest insurers, the average increase is 11 to nearly 14 percent. (Solomon, 10/25)
California Healthline: Federal Exchange Rate Hikes For 2017 Outpace Covered California’s
The Obama administration announced this week that premiums for certain mid-level plans on the federal health insurance exchange, healthcare.gov, will rise by an average of 25 percent next year, dwarfing this year’s increases and echoing similar announcements by many state-based exchanges. (10/26)
St. Louis Public Radio: Three Metro East Counties Down To One Insurer On Affordable Care Act Exchanges
The eastern St. Louis metro area has been particularly hard hit by health insurance companies exiting the Affordable Care Act exchange. This week, the federal government released prices for 2017, which include substantial hikes in western Illinois.Insurance brokers in Belleville say three metro east counties — St. Clair, Madison and Monroe — will have just one insurer to choose from this year: Blue Cross Blue Shield. (Bouscaren, 10/26)
Kansas Health Institute: HHS Offers Preview Of Healthcare.Gov Plans
Kansans who get their health insurance through the federal Affordable Care Act website can’t buy yet — but they can look. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has opened what agency officials call a “window shopping” option on healthcare.gov, ahead of the official Nov. 1 open enrollment start date. A green button on the site’s homepage allows users to “Preview 2017 Plans and Prices” by entering their ZIP code and some personal information. For example, the preview showed 11 plans available for a 35-year-old male living in Shawnee County who does not use tobacco products. (Marso, 10/25)
