Regulations

Premiums For Key Plans Up An Average Of 7.5%

By Robert Sheen | November 02, 2015
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Premiums will increase an average 7.5% for the second-lowest- silver offered next year in the 37 states where the federal government operates marketplaces, according to a Kaiser Foundation analysis data from theDepartment and Human Services (HHS).

The HHS are based premiums for “silver” , the second-lowest category. Silver plan costs are used by the Internal Revenue to calculate  available to people with incomes between 100% and 400% the federal poverty line ($11,770 to $47,080 for an ) who purchase the federal or state-based marketplaces.

HHS urged consumers to the exchanges to see if they can get a better deal. Last year,  customers who switched within the same tier saved an average nearly $400 year after , compared to those who stayed in their same .

The largest increase among the 37 states was in Oklahoma, where the silver plan’s  rose by an average 36%. Other states with increases more than 25% were Alaska, Montana and New Mexico.

The largest drop occurred in Indiana, where the average price a silver plan will decrease by 13%. Average premiums will also drop in Maine, Mississippi and Ohio.

HHS also released changes in a sampling prices in regions, showing increases 15% or more in Albuquerque-Santa Fe, NM; Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham, NC; Kansas City, Mo.; Oklahoma City and Tulsa, OK; Nashville, TN; Phoenix, AZ; Portland, OR.; and Salt Lake City, UT.

Cities where HHS noted that prices dropped included Cleveland, OH; Detroit, MI; Indianapolis, IN; Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL; and San Antonio, TX.

HHS did not provide a breakdown how much average will in dollar figures in each state and these regions. Consumers can search for prices using their zip code on the website, .

Kaiser noted that some locations with increases were exceptionally cheap last year, so their actual may be in line with national trends even with price jumps. One example is Phoenix’s benchmark plan, which is going up 19% next year; the cheapest 2015 silver plan in Phoenix had the lowest  premiums in the nation, costing a 40-year-old $166 a .

Other places seeing price spikes already have expensive . In Alaska, which this year was the nation’s most expensive region with a 40-year-old paying $488 for the cheapest silver plan, the the benchmark silver plan is going up 32%.

Other rate analyses are also estimating increases in the 2016 benchmark . An updated Kaiser Family Foundation found that premiums for benchmark in major cities in 48 states and the District Columbia would rise an average 10.4% next year before accounting for the . For comparison, benchmark rates in those cities were essentially flat in 2015 before accounting for .

The HHS analysis also found that nearly eight in 10 people who had in 2015 will be able to purchase that costs less than $100  next year once the law’s are applied.  About seven in 10 returning consumers will be able to buy a plan for $75 in 2016 with .

Posted in Department and Human Services, Health Care Coverage, Health Insurance Marketplace, Healthcare, Premiums, Regulations, Silver

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