• Over the first three years of Obamacare, per capita monthly premiums in New Hampshire increased by 34%, from $300 in 2013 to $401 in 2016.
• Over the first five years of Obamacare, 50% more insurers offered Exchange coverage in New Hampshire, from 2 in 2013 to 3 in 2018. Under Obamacare the number of insurers offering coverage in New Hampshire has varied from 1 in 2014, to 5 in 2015 and 2016, to 4 in 2017, and to 3 in 2018.
• 2019 Rate Request: All three insurers offering individual market coverage in New Hampshire are proposing to reduce their rates in 2019. Harvard Pilgrim Health proposes a 7.4% average rate reduction, Ambetter (a subsidiary of Centene) proposes a 15.23% reduction, and Anthem proposes to reduce rates by 13.49% for its Exchange plan and by 20.04% for its off-Exchange plan. For 2018, both Harvard Pilgrim Health and Anthem increased their rates by more than 40%.
• 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.

This piece was authored by Ed Haislmaier.