Uncertainty in D.C. complicates health insurance rates in New Mexico
The four insurance companies that sell policies on the healthcare.gov platform in
Even though
"Let Obamacare implode, then deal," Trump said in a Tweet last week.
Dr.
"This has been the most difficult year for rate setting. It's nerve-wracking," Hickey said.
Health Connections has proposed an average rate increase of 30 percent starting in January.
The highest proposed increase of 49 percent is by the Christus Health Plan, which covers 6,800 patients on the exchange.
Uncertainties in the marketplace are a big issue for
Company executives also said they would exit the exchange markets in
"Profitability at four of our health plans this quarter --
Molina's filings with the Office of the Superintendent
The individual insurance market is perhaps the one most influenced by changes in the Affordable Care Act. Medicare, Medicaid and group insurance offered by large employers are far less volatile because most insured members maintain coverage year in and year out, whether they are sick or not.
"Insurance only works when most of the people don't use it much, to help those that do," Hickey said.
But many entering the insurance market for the first time have not had health care in years and need more care, especially prescription drugs. And if that population is older and sicker, then costs can escalate quickly for insurers compared to the customers in group plans who are more stable in their jobs and families.
So the two provisions of the Affordable Care Act sought to even out that risk. The first is the mandate that all individuals have insurance, whether through the government, a job or the exchange and keep the coverage when they are sick and well.
The second allows the
The cost-sharing formula helps that population keep its coverage because some of the costs are paid by taxpayers directly to the insurance companies. Eliminate the subsidies and premiums will rise. That makes it even more likely that only the sick would continue to enroll in health plans.
In
"That's a pretty sizable portion of the market," said
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