Health Care Choices and Premiums: What’s Going on in Colorado

COMMENTARY Health Care Reform

Health Care Choices and Premiums: What’s Going on in Colorado

Jul 18, 2018 1 min read
COMMENTARY BY

  • Over the first three years of Obamacare, per capita monthly premiums in Colorado increased by 65%, from $237 in 2013 to $390 in 2016.
  • Over the first five years of Obamacare, 50% fewer insurers offered Exchange coverage in Colorado, from 14 in 2013 to 7 in 2018.
  • 2019 Rate Request: Insurers in the Colorado market are requesting an average increase of 5.94%. The Denver Health Medical Plan is seeking an increase of 21.6%. Bright Health Insurance Company has requested an increase of 9.7%, Cigna an increase of 8.76%, Kaiser an increase of 7.49%, Friday Health Plans similarly seeking a 7.5% increase, and Rocky Mountain HMO seeking an increase of 5.69%. Anthem’s two subsidiaries are seeking reductions of 0.44% and 2.64%.
  • 2019 Rate Finalized: Finalized by mid-October

Health care remains a major focus of the public discussion as premium prices rise and choices dwindle. Throughout the summer and into the fall, Obamacare insurers will announce decisions about the prices they want to charge and plans they want to offer next year, submitting them to regulators for review and approval. Research shows prices have been rising steadily since Obamacare was first implemented, more than doubling in some places because of its failed policies and regulations.

The best way to provide relief for Americans struggling under these heavy burdens is to replace Obamacare with free-market solutions that put patients and doctors—not federal bureaucrats—in charge of health care decisions and dollars.

The three states that have begun to provide this kind of relief – after being granted federal waivers from Obamacare - are seeing rate reductions. Congress should go farther and make it easy for states to take these actions.

Colorado

This piece was authored by Ed Haislmaier.

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