How Much Will Obamacare Coverage Cost?

10/16/2013 As many Americans are losing their current health plans, they may be striking out on their own into Obamacare’s health insurance exchanges. (Or at least they will be, if the website ever starts working.) Thanks to a new study from Heritage, you can quickly get a sense of the Obamacare prices hitting your state’s individual insurance market. Heritage analyst Drew Gonshorowski is a step ahead. He took all the available data released thus far from the states and federal government and calculated the average premium change (per month) from buying health insurance in the non-group market to buying in the Obamacare exchanges. >>> See how your state fares here Unsurprisingly, Obamacare brings increases across the board. The news is particularly bad for young people. In at least 11 states, the hike for a 27-year-old is more than 100 percent. “Our findings confirm that younger populations see larger percentage increases in premiums,” Gonshorowski said. “A state that exhibits this clearly is Vermont, where the increase for 27-year-olds is 144 percent and the increase for 50-year-olds is still 60 percent, but far less. All states exhibit this relationship.” Critics have noted that in a few states, premiums have actually gone down. Gonshorowski explains why they’re seeing this—and that it’s not the norm: Individuals in most states will end up spending more on the exchanges. It is true that in some states, the experience could be the opposite. This is because those states had already over-regulated insurance markets that led to sharply higher premiums through adverse selection, as is the case of New York. Many states, however, double or nearly triple premiums for young adults. Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Kansas, and Vermont see some of the largest increases in premiums. President Obama promised premiums would go down by $2,500. But Gonshorowski reports that “the claims of savings on premiums for the average participant is a fantasy.” Join us at 10 a.m. ET for a discussion of this study—you can watch online. Read the Morning Bell and more en español every day at Heritage Libertad. Quick Hits: Yesterday, the Senate decisively rejected the U.N. Arms Trade Treaty. A bust of Winston Churchill is headed for the Capitol at the request of House Speaker John Boehner. Coming soon: “What would Reagan do?” Job security: “Saturday Night Live” alums Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are hosting the Golden Globes for the next two years. If only 83 percent of federal functions are necessary in a shutdown, why are taxpayers supporting the rest? This small business owner just wants to protect his employees, but Obamacare is costing him. Six lies most people believe about U.S. schools, and how Common Core bolsters at least one. Read about how Arizona’s innovative school choice options helped one autistic child. Meanwhile, another school’s zero-tolerance policy punished this special needs child. What would you ask a member of Congress? Print  |  Comments  |  Forward  |  Donate

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