More Than 70 Percent of Consumers Can Find Marketplace Plans for Less Than $75 per Month

Lawndale News Chicago's Bilingual Newspaper - Health

With window shopping beginning this week, Health Insurance Marketplace consumers can now visit HealthCare.gov to check out their options for 2017 coverage in advance of the start of Open Enrollment on November 1. A new report released shows that 72 percent of Marketplace consumers in states using HealthCare.gov will be able to find plans with a premium of less than $75 per month and 77 percent will be able to find plans with premiums below $100, taking into account financial assistance. The report also shows that consumers will have options, with an average of 30 health insurance plans to choose from. Thanks in large part to the Marketplace, in early 2016, the share of Americans without health insurance fell to 8.6 percent, the lowest level in our nation’s history. This year’s Open Enrollment offers the chance to build on that progress and further improve access to care and financial security.

Financial Assistance and Shopping Help Keep Coverage Affordable

Eighty-five percent of current Marketplace consumers receive tax credits that bring down the cost of coverage, and, nationwide, about the same percentage of Marketplace-eligible uninsured Americans also have incomes that could qualify them for tax credits. In addition, an estimated 2.5 million people currently paying full price for health insurance in the off-Marketplace individual market could be eligible for tax credits if they purchase 2017 coverage through the Marketplace. This year, HealthCare.gov consumers will have the option to choose from an average of 30 plans. Like last year, there will be an average of ten plans per issuer. For people with employer-sponsored health insurance, plan choice is typically narrower; for example, in 2015, 30 percent of people with employer coverage had only one plan option.

As the Marketplace Goes Through a Transition Year, Experiences Vary Widely Across States

Lawndale News Chicago's Bilingual Newspaper - Health

Through 2016, Marketplace rates remained well below initial projections from the independent Congressional Budget Office, and well below the cost of comparable coverage in the employer market. Nationwide, average Marketplace premiums for 2017 are increasing more than they have in the past two years. Even with these adjustments, premiums remain roughly in line with projections issued by the Congressional Budget Office during the debate over the Affordable Care Act (ACA). For the median HealthCare.gov consumer, the benchmark second-lowest silver plan premium is increasing by 16 percent this year, before taking into account the effects of financial assistance; that is, half of HealthCare.gov consumers are seeing increases less than, and half greater than, 16 percent. But experiences across states vary widely.

The Affordable Care Act Is Strengthening Coverage, and Improvements Could Drive Further Progress

The Marketplace is one of many ways the ACA continues to improve health care affordability, access, and quality.

Affordability. The latest available data show employer premiums are continuing to rise at the low rates observed since the ACA was enacted. This year, the average family premium for the more than 150 million Americans with employer coverage is $3,600 lower than it would be if pre-ACA premium growth had continued.

Access. More than 20 million American adults have gained coverage as a result of provisions of the Affordable Care Act. In addition, more than 3 million children have gained coverage since 2008, thanks in large part to the ACA and improvements to the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

Quality. For those who already had coverage, the ACA provided new protections, including guaranteed limits on out-of-pocket costs, no limits on annual or lifetime coverage, and preventive services without cost sharing. The ACA is also strengthening health care quality, with large drops in patient harms and preventable hospital readmissions for Medicare beneficiaries.

Open Enrollment, which starts November 1 and ends on January 31, 2017, provides another opportunity for Americans to find affordable coverage for them and their families. Learn more on HealthCare.gov.

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