Obama administration unveils health care premiums for 2016

With an announcement to not offer health insurance in 2016, Consumers’ Choice Health Insurance Company in South Carolina becomes the ninth consumer owned and operated plan (co-op) created under Obamacare to stop operations.

“The consumer experience this year will be easier and faster”, Andy Slavitt, acting administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said Friday at a briefing for reporters in Washington.

Kevin J. Counihan, chief executive of the federal insurance marketplace, could not say when the doctor and drug search tools would be available, beyond promising that it would be soon.

All three tools will initially appear in “beta” testing mode, officials cautioned. “We don’t want to introduce anything that is not fully working”.

“Virginia was a great place to study this health care delivery transition, since it was a regional and national leader in the ADAP transition from direct medication provision to purchasing of [Affordable Care Act] insurance”, said researcher Dr. Kathleen McManus of the University of Virginia School of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases and global Health. A few outside experts described that as a surprisingly modest goal.

The open enrollment period ends January 31. Next year and in succeeding years, the penalty will apply to employers with at least 50 employees, who – to avoid the penalty – will have to extend coverage to at least 95% of employees. Instead of picking a plan at the “bronze” coverage level, they might look at “gold” instead, or even “platinum”.

Federal officials said, for example, that a health plan might cover the services of a doctor practicing at one location, but not the services of the same doctor practicing at a different location.

Consumer advocates have been clamoring for an upgrade that allows patients to easily search for insurance plans that their doctor participates in.

With premiums on the rise, many consumers are expected to find it more hard to afford their health insurance coverage. As Robert Pear of The New York Times reported this week, HHS officials argue that insurers have been slow to provide the information, while insurers say the agency gave them unrealistic deadlines.

“I encourage all Penn State Students, and all college students, to take a little time and read this letter”, said Miller.