Average Health Insurance Premiums in New Marketplaces Lower than Expected

Statement

Today Maryland Congressman Chris Van Hollen issued the following statement about the new report from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) showing that average health insurance premiums in the new health insurance Marketplaces will be 16 percent lower than expected:

"The report released today shows that premiums in the new health insurance Marketplaces across the country are coming in 16 percent lower than expected. And the majority of people who are uninsured today will be able to find coverage for $100 or less per month in the Marketplace, taking into account premium tax credits and Medicaid coverage. It also shows that people in the 36 states that will have Federally-facilitated Marketplaces will have great insurance coverage choices -- individuals in these states will have an average of 53 insurance plans to choose from, and young adults will have even more. This builds on the good news from states like Maryland that are working to set up their own exchanges and successfully implement the Affordable Care Act -- in fact, our State has negotiated insurance rates that are among the lowest in the country.

"Most people get their health insurance through their employer or through a government plan like Medicare. But for the people who buy their coverage directly from an insurance company, the individual health insurance markets in many states are badly broken. People can be locked out or priced out for having a pre-existing condition like cancer or diabetes -- and, according to HHS, as many as 50 percent of non-elderly Americans have a pre-existing health condition. Today, an average of nearly one in five applicants for coverage on the individual market is denied health insurance. Next year, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, no one will be rejected for having a pre-existing condition. In less than one week, the Maryland Health Connection and Marketplaces across the nation will be open for business. October 1, 2013 marks the start of a six-month enrollment period, and those who sign up by December 15, 2013 will have coverage starting on January 1, 2014. Plans in the Marketplaces will compete on price and quality, and all of them will cover basic services like maternity care, preventive care, prescription drugs, and mental health care.

"The Affordable Care Act is already providing important benefits and protections for Marylanders and people across the country. As more information comes in, it is clear that the law will also provide affordable health insurance options for millions of Americans."

To learn more about the Maryland Health Connection, visit: http://www.marylandhealthconnection.gov. For more information about the Affordable Care Act, visit: https://www.healthcare.gov.

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