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When Health Insurance Prices Rose Last Year, Around a Million Americans Dropped Coverage
New York Times ^ | July 3, 2018 | Margot Sanger-Katz

Posted on 07/03/2018 12:04:11 PM PDT by reaganaut1

Last year, as insurance prices rose by an average of just over 20 percent around the country, people who qualified for Obamacare subsidies hung onto their insurance. But the increases appear to have been too much to bear for many customers who earned too much to qualify for financial help.

According to a new government report, about a million people appear to have been priced out of the market for health insurance last year.

The report is the first comprehensive look by the Department of Health and Human Services at people who buy their own insurance but don’t qualify for federal subsidies under Obamacare. Individuals who earn more than around $48,000 have to pay full price for their health plans; that group has faced a second round of big premium increases in 2018 and is looking at a third round of them in some parts of the country next year.

The report does not provide enough information to be sure precisely how much of the difference is a result of increased prices. For complicated reasons, some people who paid full price in 2016 became eligible for subsidies in 2017, making a simple comparison of before and after numbers a little misleading.

The Trump administration also reduced advertising for the insurance signup period and made it harder for people to sign up for insurance later in the year, two factors that could have also depressed insurance enrollment. It’s also possible that some who stopped buying their own insurance did so because they got a new job with health care benefits.

But it’s reasonable to think that most of the attrition can be attributed to the spike in prices, as the Trump administration concludes.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: healthinsurance; obamacare
Obamacare is a failure, and Republicans need to revive the individual health insurance market.
1 posted on 07/03/2018 12:04:11 PM PDT by reaganaut1
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To: reaganaut1

Actually the elimination of the mandate was the catalyst for most to drop coverage.


2 posted on 07/03/2018 12:06:53 PM PDT by Robert DeLong
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To: reaganaut1

DJT said recently that there will be new types of coverage coming out in the near future.


3 posted on 07/03/2018 12:11:19 PM PDT by Signalman
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To: reaganaut1

O...B.....A....M......A..........!


4 posted on 07/03/2018 12:13:06 PM PDT by cranked
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To: reaganaut1

I dropped coverage on 1/1/2014 - the day Obamacare became the law. We’re now 64 and have not needed a doctor in that time. One reason is that my wife was healed by GOD of a very serious sinus infection about two months ago. Laid on hands, prayed for the faith of Jesus. Problem gone, after a month of getting worse and worse.

Health care really should be like auto care and health insurance should be like car insurance. i.e. it doesn’t pay for oil changes, filters and tires.


5 posted on 07/03/2018 12:40:59 PM PDT by robroys woman (So you're not confused, I'm using my wife's account.)
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To: reaganaut1

As well they should drop this stupid system. Health shares are cheaper, cover more, and don’t cause all these stupid headaches. HSAs are also good. All health insurance should be, is for catastrophic. We should pay for all other treatment and it would be affordable. And you’d think twice before rushing to your doctor. And you’d shop around for cheaper blood tests etc.


6 posted on 07/03/2018 12:43:07 PM PDT by Yaelle
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To: reaganaut1

Exactly the left’s plan, get all healthcare funded by the government. They couldn’t do it directly, so they created a situation where only those beholden to the government can afford insurance.


7 posted on 07/03/2018 1:09:26 PM PDT by ArmstedFragg (So Long Obie)
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To: reaganaut1
people who qualified for Obamacare subsidies hung onto their insurance. But the increases appear to have been too much to bear for many customers who earned too much to qualify for financial help.

Yeah, whenever I hear how "popular" Obamacare is with the American people, I want to ask who they were polling. People getting subsidies (other peoples' money) like it; but, people who have to pay full freight? Not so much.

8 posted on 07/03/2018 2:28:23 PM PDT by LibertarianLiz
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To: Robert DeLong
Actually the elimination of the mandate was the catalyst for most to drop coverage.

I guess they'll be in for a surprise when they file their 2018 taxes and discover the mandate goes away in 2019.
9 posted on 07/03/2018 3:59:21 PM PDT by JayNorth (Apparently Verizon Wireless is taking customer service lessons from United Airlines.)
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To: JayNorth
Want to place a bet on them enforcing those fines? 8>)

Besides most people will lie on their returns.

10 posted on 07/04/2018 6:25:51 AM PDT by Robert DeLong
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To: Robert DeLong

I don’t think there is a reason to lie. After the massive premium increases the last couple of years, being eligible for an affordability hardship exemption isn’t that difficult for many people ineligible for subsidies.


11 posted on 07/04/2018 10:40:05 AM PDT by EVO X
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