Wednesday, August 28, 2013

HEALTH CARE - State Health Insurance Exchanges

"Pricing in Your State's Insurance Marketplace" by Phil Galewitz and Kaiser Health News (KHN), PBS Newshour 8/27/2013

Excerpt

Wondering how much insurance premiums will cost under the upcoming insurance exchanges?  In many states, information is now becoming available.

One of the biggest questions about Obamacare is whether its new consumer protections might lead to higher costs for some people buying coverage on their own -- or through small groups -- when they purchase it via the online insurance marketplaces that open for enrollment Oct. 1.

A growing number of states have released approved 2014 premiums and other details about individual and small group insurance plans that will available on the marketplaces, also called exchanges.  Those rates do not take into account the federal tax credits that many people will be eligible for.  In addition, the federal government must give final approval to the plans in September.

Some states such as Arkansas, Illinois and New Hampshire have approved their rates but have not released any information about premiums and say they don't plan to do so until Oct. 1.

States that are running their own exchanges, such as California, provide details about the benefits in each state-approved plan in each region of the state.

States who have declined to run their own and who will have federally-run exchanges, still must have the premiums approved by the Obama administration.

The following are links to publicly released data from states that have made their information available.  KHN will add links to other states as they are published.

Full article has list of states with links.

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