For Many, Few Health-Plan Choices, High Premiums on Online Exchanges

Wall Street Journal ^

[Sub-Driver]

For Many, Few Health-Plan Choices, High Premiums on Online Exchanges

Analysis Shows Americans in Poorer Counties Have Limited Options on Health-Care Exchanges

By Timothy W. Martin And Christopher Weaver Feb. 12, 2014 7:37 p.m. ET

Hundreds of thousands of Americans in poorer counties have few choices of health insurers and face high premiums through the online exchanges created by the health-care law, according to an analysis by The Wall Street Journal of offerings in 36 states.

Consumers in 515 counties, spread across 15 states, have only one insurer selling coverage through the online marketplaces, the Journal found. In more than 80% of those counties, the sole insurer is a local Blue Cross & Blue Shield plan. Residents of wealthier, more populated counties in the U.S. receive lower-priced choices than those living in counties with a single insurer.

The White House has said broad participation in the exchanges would help lower health-care costs. On Wednesday, the Obama administration reported about 3.3 million people have signed up for coverage through the online marketplace by January, an increase of more than 1 million since December, but still with fewer younger Americans than needed to keep down premiums.

Higher participation rates among young adults, as much as 40%, is seen as essential to balance out the higher costs of covering older people for insurers that are already limiting the counties where they offer coverage.

The average price for a 50-year-old American to obtain the cheapest midlevel "silver plan" through HealthCare.gov—the marketplace operated by the federal government—was $406 in counties with one health insurer, the Journal found. In counties with four insurers, the average price of the cheapest comparable silver plan was $329.

[Sub-Driver]

Well N.S.

[refermech]

This just may penetrate the thick skulls of the average American. Then maybe not...

[workerbee]

Wait, wait, wait... you mean to tell me, that less competition means higher prices? Like.... that is sooo gnarly, man!

[Diogenesis]

"No problem for us, the EXEMPT, you stupid suckers."

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"No problem for us, the EXEMPT, you stupid suckers."

[Varsity Flight]

For _____________

Deductibles.

[MrChips]

It’s not just “poorer counties.” I live in a relatively prosperous county. In my state, 4 insurance companies sell health insurance. If I go to healthcare.gov, I find only two of them . . . the most expensive two. Since I do not qualify for a subsidy, I did not purchase insurance through the exchange, and I bought mine from one of the companies not represented on the exchange, and for considerably less money.