Rising Obamacare premiums for 2017

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SmarterthanYou

rebel
Premiums for popular low-cost medical plans under the federal health care law are expected to go up an average of 11 percent next year, said a study that reinforced reports of sharp increases around the country in election season.

For consumers, the impact will depend on whether they get government subsidies for their premiums, as well as on their own willingness to switch plans to keep the increases more manageable, said the analysis released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.

The full picture on 2017 premiums will emerge later this summer as the presidential election heads into the home stretch. The health law's next sign-up season starts a week before Election Day. Democrat Hillary Clinton wants to build on President Barack Obama's health overhaul, which has reduced the uninsured rate to a historically low 9 percent. Republican Donald Trump wants to repeal it.

The Kaiser study looked at 14 metro areas for which complete data on insurer premium requests is already available. It found that premiums for a level of insurance called the "lowest-cost silver plan" will go up in 12 of the areas, while decreasing in two. The changes range from a decrease of 14 percent in Providence, Rhode Island, to an increase of 26 percent in Portland, Oregon.

Half of the cities will see increases of 10 percent or more. Last year, only two of the cities had double-digit increases.

"Premiums are going up faster in 2017 than they have in past years," said Cynthia Cox, lead author of the analysis.

Among the cities studied, the monthly premium for a 40-year-old nonsmoker in 2017 will range from $192 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to $482 in Burlington, Vermont.

Final rates may change if regulators push back on the requests from insurers. The foundation plans to analyze major cities in all states as more data becomes available.

Most workers and their families are covered by employers, but about 12 million people get private coverage through HealthCare.gov and online insurance markets run by states. Nearly 7 in 10 pick silver plans, a mid-tier option that allows consumers with low to modest incomes to also get financial help with out-of-pocket costs when they receive medical care.

Income-based premium subsidies designed to keep pace with costs will cushion the impact for many. But not all consumers get help. About 2 million marketplace customers make too much to qualify for the subsidies. And an estimated 3 million to 5 million people who buy their policies outside of markets like HealthCare.gov do not receive financial assistance.

For both the subsidized and the unsubsidized, willingness to switch plans and insurers may be crucial in keeping premiums more manageable next year.

The lowest-cost silver plan in a community often changes from year to year, and Cox said the estimated 11 percent increase is based on an assumption that consumers will switch.

"If they stay in their same plan they may see a higher premium increase," she said.

The premium increases come after major insurers reported significant losses on their health-care business. Enrollment was lower than hoped for, new customers were sicker than expected, and the government's system to help stabilize the markets had problems.

Medicare and Medicaid administrator Andy Slavitt, whose agency also oversees the health law, said in a speech last week that the health insurance markets are still in an early trial-and-error stage. He estimated that could go on for another couple of years, or well into the next president's term.
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more big government failure.....

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/2e1d...report-new-evidence-rising-obamacare-premiums
 
anatta said:
oh right. democratic socialism like Bernie advocates; where gov't/economy is run for the people instead of the corps.

we can't have that.
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No, we can't. Besides, then lifelong takers would only complain about how lousy government-run healthcare is all the time, while they advocate improved VA benefits for themselves.
 
anatta said:
oh right. democratic socialism like Bernie advocates; where gov't/economy is run for the people instead of the corps.

we can't have that.
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anyone that seriously believes that todays modern politicians would allow a socialist society where EVERYONE is equal is swimming in naivete
 
SmarterthanFew said:
anyone that seriously believes that todays modern politicians would allow a socialist society where EVERYONE is equal is swimming in naivete
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Did he say anything about "everyone being equal"?

Oh, Jesus, you're going to make this about cops somehow. I can feel it. :rofl2:
 
SmarterthanYou said:
anyone that seriously believes that todays modern politicians would allow a socialist society where EVERYONE is equal is swimming in naivete
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that is not democratic socialism,,that looks like Marxism to me. anyways ..No Labels. throw out the nomenclature and delve into the idea.

what is wrong with universal coding, universal access,
and getting rid of the HUGE amount of profits companies make with their insane plans/deductions?

Or how about keeping a pay for play model for the very rich? they'd still pay taxes -but could get private services too.

In other words we see these ideas and we react without thinking thru the possibilities ..why not try ?
It's not like what we have now is so fantastic it can't be improved
 
But profits keep prices low and make it possible for all to have the best medical care in the world...oh, wait.
 
anatta said:
that is not democratic socialism,,that looks like Marxism to me. anyways ..No Labels. throw out the nomenclature and delve into the idea.

what is wrong with universal coding, universal access,
and getting rid of the HUGE amount of profits companies make with their insane plans/deductions?
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the ruling class would never allow it. they consider themselves 'better' than you and I. it's a wasted effort.
 
Legion Troll said:
But profits keep prices low and make it possible for all to have the best medical care in the world...oh, wait.
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some kina quasi-system, or tax money still used for R&D ( which happens now). You'd have to look world wide and see what feaures workbest and adapt.

Thing is of course the Hillarybots will scream "no we can't" and the craven politicians will try to write it up for exceptions for their special interests.

which is why we need that political revolution( true progressivism) - business as usual erodes the ability to break out of the same recycled staleness
of corptocratic thought that passes for innovation in DC
 
SmarterthanYou said:
the ruling class would never allow it. they consider themselves 'better' than you and I. it's a wasted effort.
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man you guys should have had a taste of the 60's. power to the people! isn't just a lame bunch of hippies screaming!
It's seized power by the ballotbox..

oh wait.."no we can't".. incrementalism is staleness with a twist. but it's still staleness.
maybe the next generation will realize ultimate power lies with the people when they exercise it
 
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