whell |
11-07-2017 09:14 AM |
Most Counties Will Have Free 2018 Exchange Plans for Low-Income Enrollees
We heard much doom and gloom in the mainstream press and from the Dems regarding the decision to stop paying Obama's less than legal subsidies to insurance companies. Low and behold, a study was released by an independent healthcare consultancy that paints a very different picture.
http://avalere.com/expertise/managed...come-enrollees
In 2018, these highly-subsidized consumers will also have access to free silver plan options in 18% of counties. Further, 10% of counties will have free gold plan options available to individuals making $18,090, or 150% of poverty, per year. While availability of free subsidized options decreases for individuals with higher incomes, 2018 will have a high number of free subsidized options.
Avalere experts link the increased availability of free plan options to the Administration’s decision to end cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments to insurers. This decision has led to substantially higher premium subsidies in 2018, as insurers increase premium levels to make up for the lack of CSR payments.
One thing that the media failed to report is that carriers participating in the marketplace have known since last year that the CSR payments were on thin ice. So, even before Trump ended the CSR payments, the carriers had filed two sets of marketplace rates with state insurance regulators: one set anticipating that the CSR payments would be terminated, and one set without CSR payments factored in.
Just tryin' to provide some balance here for all the...umm..."news" that you guys get yourselves all worked up about.
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