> Obamacare: Health Insurers’ Tie Proposed Rate Hikes to Health Care Reform
Health Insurers’ Tie Proposed Rate Hikes to Health Care Reform
Posted by Stephanie Condon
https://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20015859-503544.html
Health insurers across the country are planning to raise premiums for some of their customers in the coming weeks, the Wall Street Journal reports, and they are in part blaming President Obama’s health care reform package for the rate hikes.
On the surface, at least, the news boosts Republicans’ arguments against the Democrats’ reforms ahead of this year’s midterm elections. But the White House and other supporters of the reform package say they are skeptical of the health insurance companies’ rationale.
Aetna Inc., some BlueCross BlueShield plans and other smaller carriers have asked regulators to approve premium increases of between one percent and nine percent to pay for the bill’s early benefits, the Journal reports. The rate increases would largely apply to individual plans (9 percent of Americans have individual plans) and those offered for small businesses (about 20 percent of Americans get coverage from small employers).
The early benefits cited by insurers for the rate increase include allowing children up to 26 years old to stay on their parents’ health care plans, eliminating co-payments for preventive care and prohibiting insurers from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions. These benefits apply to all plans, not just individual and small business policies.
The insurers are also reportedly asking for further rate increases they are not tying to the health care overhaul that they say are needed to cover rising medical costs. Some customers could see their premiums increase by more than 20 percent.
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https://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20015859-503544.html
