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Vermont Is First In Nation To Propose Rates Under Obamacare
Vermont Is First In Nation To Propose Rates Under Obamacare
By Kirk Carapezza
Vermont, which continues to emerge as a national health care leader, released on Monday the amount it proposes to charge consumers for health insurance under the federal Affordable Care Act.
Under the proposed rates, the average cost for an individual would vary from $365.76 for the most basic package to $609.47 for the most comprehensive. Rates for family plans would be higher. People under certain income limits would get federal subsidies to pay for insurance.
Vermont is the first state in the nation to release its proposal for rates under the “health benefits exchange” that the federal law established. The program will be known as Vermont Health Connect. State officials say the publication of the rates will allow Vermonters who plan to seek health insurance through the Affordable Care Act to begin making choices about the coverage they want.
Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance carriers that want to serve Americans through state run health exchanges are required to submit their rates.
- more -
http://blog.vpr.net/2013/04/01/vermont-is-first-in-nation-to-propose-rates-under-obamacare/
By Kirk Carapezza
Vermont, which continues to emerge as a national health care leader, released on Monday the amount it proposes to charge consumers for health insurance under the federal Affordable Care Act.
Under the proposed rates, the average cost for an individual would vary from $365.76 for the most basic package to $609.47 for the most comprehensive. Rates for family plans would be higher. People under certain income limits would get federal subsidies to pay for insurance.
Vermont is the first state in the nation to release its proposal for rates under the “health benefits exchange” that the federal law established. The program will be known as Vermont Health Connect. State officials say the publication of the rates will allow Vermonters who plan to seek health insurance through the Affordable Care Act to begin making choices about the coverage they want.
Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance carriers that want to serve Americans through state run health exchanges are required to submit their rates.
- more -
http://blog.vpr.net/2013/04/01/vermont-is-first-in-nation-to-propose-rates-under-obamacare/
No Rate Shock Seen In Proposed 2014 Premiums In Vermont
By Phil Galewitz
After years of anticipation, Vermont became the first state Monday to publish proposed 2014 individual health insurance rates under the federal health law. Despite Republican and insurers’ predictions, there was no “rate shock” in the new premiums, according to the Vermont governor’s office and insurance representatives.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont and MVP Health Care submitted plans with monthly premiums that range from an average of $265 for catastrophic coverage for young adults to $609 for platinum coverage, which has the lowest cost-sharing among four categories of plans.
“We think this is a positive development for folks who were worried about what rates would look like in 2014,” said Kevin Goddard, spokesman for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont, which is the state’s dominant commercial carrier, controlling about two-thirds of the market. He confirmed rates are similar to what the company now offers.
“These rates are comparable to what’s on the market today and that’s good news,” said Robin Lunge, director of health reform in the Vermont governor’s office. She said it’s difficult to do an apples-to-apples comparison because of the many benefit changes required under President Barack Obama’s health overhaul. These changes, which take effect Jan. 1, include an end to annual lifetime limits in policies and a prohibition on denying coverage to people with medical problems.
- more -
http://capsules.kaiserhealthnews.org/index.php/2013/04/no-rate-shock-seen-in-proposed-2014-premiums-in-vermont/
By Phil Galewitz
After years of anticipation, Vermont became the first state Monday to publish proposed 2014 individual health insurance rates under the federal health law. Despite Republican and insurers’ predictions, there was no “rate shock” in the new premiums, according to the Vermont governor’s office and insurance representatives.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont and MVP Health Care submitted plans with monthly premiums that range from an average of $265 for catastrophic coverage for young adults to $609 for platinum coverage, which has the lowest cost-sharing among four categories of plans.
“We think this is a positive development for folks who were worried about what rates would look like in 2014,” said Kevin Goddard, spokesman for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont, which is the state’s dominant commercial carrier, controlling about two-thirds of the market. He confirmed rates are similar to what the company now offers.
“These rates are comparable to what’s on the market today and that’s good news,” said Robin Lunge, director of health reform in the Vermont governor’s office. She said it’s difficult to do an apples-to-apples comparison because of the many benefit changes required under President Barack Obama’s health overhaul. These changes, which take effect Jan. 1, include an end to annual lifetime limits in policies and a prohibition on denying coverage to people with medical problems.
- more -
http://capsules.kaiserhealthnews.org/index.php/2013/04/no-rate-shock-seen-in-proposed-2014-premiums-in-vermont/
18 replies
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"What is the income level for federal subsidies to kick in?"
...Medicaid eligibility is up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level and the subsidies end a 400 percent of FPL.
Who Benefits from the ACA Medicaid Expansion?
A key element of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the expansion of Medicaid to nearly all individuals with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) ($15,415 for an individual; $26,344 for a family of three in 2012) in 2014. Medicaid currently provides health coverage for over 60 million individuals, including 1 in 4 children, but low parent eligibility levels and restrictions in eligibility for other adults mean that many low income individuals remain uninsured. The ACA expands coverage by setting a national Medicaid eligibility floor for nearly all groups. By 2016, Medicaid, along with the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), will cover an additional 17 million individuals, mostly low-income adults, leading to a significant reduction in the number of uninsured people.
Medicaid does not cover many low-income adults today. To qualify for Medicaid prior to health reform, individuals had to meet financial eligibility criteria and belong to one of the following specific groups: children, parents, pregnant women, people with severe disability, and seniors. Non-disabled adults without dependent children were generally excluded from Medicaid unless the state obtained a waiver to cover them. The federal government sets minimum eligibility levels for each category, which are up to 133% FPL for pregnant women and children but are much lower for parents (under 50% FPL in most states). States have the option to expand coverage to higher incomes, but Medicaid eligibility levels for adults remain very limited (Figure 1). Seventeen states limit Medicaid coverage to parents earning less than 50 percent of poverty ($9,545 for a family of 3), and only eight states provide full Medicaid coverage to other low-income adults. State-by state Medicaid eligibility levels for parents and other adults are available here.
The ACA expands Medicaid to a national floor of 138% of poverty ($15,415 for an individual; $26,344 for a family of three). The threshold is 133% FPL, but 5% of an individual’s income is disregarded, effectively raising the limit to 138% FPL. The expansion of coverage will make many low-income adults newly eligible for Medicaid and reduce the current variation in eligibility levels across states. To preserve the current base of coverage, states must also maintain minimum eligibility levels in place as of March 2010, when the law was signed. This requirement remains in effect until 2014 for adults and 2019 for children. Under the ACA, states also have the option to expand coverage early to low-income adults prior to 2014. To date, eight states (CA, CT, CO, DC, MN, MO, NJ and WA) have taken up this option to extend Medicaid to adults. Nearly all of these states previously provided solely state- or county-funded coverage to some low-income adults. By moving these adults to Medicaid and obtaining federal financing, these states were able to maintain and, in some cases, expand coverage. Together these early expansions covered over half a million adults as of April 2012.
Eligibility requirements for the elderly and persons with disabilities do not change under reform although some individuals with disabilities may become newly eligible under the adult expansion. Lawfully residing immigrants will be eligible for the Medicaid expansion, although many will continue to be subject to a five-year waiting period before they may enroll in coverage. States have the option to eliminate this five-year waiting period for children and pregnant women but not for other adults. Undocumented immigrants will remain ineligible for Medicaid.
- more -
http://www.kff.org/medicaid/quicktake_aca_medicaid.cfm
A key element of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the expansion of Medicaid to nearly all individuals with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) ($15,415 for an individual; $26,344 for a family of three in 2012) in 2014. Medicaid currently provides health coverage for over 60 million individuals, including 1 in 4 children, but low parent eligibility levels and restrictions in eligibility for other adults mean that many low income individuals remain uninsured. The ACA expands coverage by setting a national Medicaid eligibility floor for nearly all groups. By 2016, Medicaid, along with the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), will cover an additional 17 million individuals, mostly low-income adults, leading to a significant reduction in the number of uninsured people.
Medicaid does not cover many low-income adults today. To qualify for Medicaid prior to health reform, individuals had to meet financial eligibility criteria and belong to one of the following specific groups: children, parents, pregnant women, people with severe disability, and seniors. Non-disabled adults without dependent children were generally excluded from Medicaid unless the state obtained a waiver to cover them. The federal government sets minimum eligibility levels for each category, which are up to 133% FPL for pregnant women and children but are much lower for parents (under 50% FPL in most states). States have the option to expand coverage to higher incomes, but Medicaid eligibility levels for adults remain very limited (Figure 1). Seventeen states limit Medicaid coverage to parents earning less than 50 percent of poverty ($9,545 for a family of 3), and only eight states provide full Medicaid coverage to other low-income adults. State-by state Medicaid eligibility levels for parents and other adults are available here.
The ACA expands Medicaid to a national floor of 138% of poverty ($15,415 for an individual; $26,344 for a family of three). The threshold is 133% FPL, but 5% of an individual’s income is disregarded, effectively raising the limit to 138% FPL. The expansion of coverage will make many low-income adults newly eligible for Medicaid and reduce the current variation in eligibility levels across states. To preserve the current base of coverage, states must also maintain minimum eligibility levels in place as of March 2010, when the law was signed. This requirement remains in effect until 2014 for adults and 2019 for children. Under the ACA, states also have the option to expand coverage early to low-income adults prior to 2014. To date, eight states (CA, CT, CO, DC, MN, MO, NJ and WA) have taken up this option to extend Medicaid to adults. Nearly all of these states previously provided solely state- or county-funded coverage to some low-income adults. By moving these adults to Medicaid and obtaining federal financing, these states were able to maintain and, in some cases, expand coverage. Together these early expansions covered over half a million adults as of April 2012.
Eligibility requirements for the elderly and persons with disabilities do not change under reform although some individuals with disabilities may become newly eligible under the adult expansion. Lawfully residing immigrants will be eligible for the Medicaid expansion, although many will continue to be subject to a five-year waiting period before they may enroll in coverage. States have the option to eliminate this five-year waiting period for children and pregnant women but not for other adults. Undocumented immigrants will remain ineligible for Medicaid.
- more -
http://www.kff.org/medicaid/quicktake_aca_medicaid.cfm
