Study: Half who now buy own health plan to get aid

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

WASHINGTON (AP) About half the people who now buy their own health insurance and potentially would face higher premiums next year under President Barack Obama's health care law would qualify for federal tax credits to offset rate shock, according to a new private study.

Many other people, however, earn too much money to be eligible for help, and could end up paying more.

The estimate, released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, tries to answer one of the biggest remaining questions about the impact of Obama's law on American families: Will consumers wince or even balk when they see the premiums for the new plans?

The study found that 48 percent of families currently buying their own coverage would be eligible for tax credits next year, averaging $5,548 per family, or 66 percent of the average cost of a benchmark "silver" policy offered through new state insurance markets.

"About half of the people won't be paying the sticker price," said Gary Claxton, director of the health care marketplace project at Kaiser, an information clearinghouse on the health care system. "The people who get help will get quite a lot of help."

"Many, but certainly not all, of the people who don't get tax credits will pay more," he said. "How much more will be a function of a lot of different things."

For example, some people who don't qualify for tax credits may get jobs that offer coverage, added Claxton, a co-author of the study. And the bottom line on premiums may not be clear until sometime this fall, after the Health and Human Services Department releases rates for more than 30 states where the federal government is taking the lead setting up new insurance markets for individuals and small businesses.

People can enroll starting Oct. 1, and coverage becomes effective Jan. 1. Most people currently covered by employer plans are not affected.

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So far, premiums reported by a number of individual states have been coming in lower than initially projected by the Congressional Budget Office. But they are higher according to industry and consultants than what people now typically pay for individual plans, which tend to be bare-bones coverage.

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-politics/20130814/US--Health.Care-Rate.Shock/

[Jacque67 7,328]

Kaiser?

[JohnR! 5,495]

WASHINGTON (AP) About half the people who now buy their own health insurance and potentially would face higher premiums next year under President Barack Obama's health care law would qualify for federal tax credits to offset rate shock, according to a new private study.

Now, there is a shocker!! We all know how health insurance premiums have been in a steady steep decline for years now... I am sure many believed they would keep on plummeting!

[Karee 4,189]

I thought one of the benefits of Obamacare is that is was supposed to bring down premiums.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Kaiser?

One of the largest health foundations in the US.

I thought one of the benefits of Obamacare is that is was supposed to bring down premiums.

More benefits cost more money.

[JohnR! 5,495]

I thought one of the benefits of Obamacare is that is was supposed to bring down premiums.

It did but not for everyone. Many were issue refunds by the health insurance companies as a result of provisions of Obamacare enacted in the past couple of years.

[Darnell 8,478]

I say nothing is 'over' or even 'set in stone' till the IRS has their new deductions in place. Sure, that could go as late as 15 january 2014, before it's all set.

[decocker 7,198]

just you wait. obama will be impeached long before january 1st.

[Darnell 8,478]

Erie - stop giving me that false hope !!!!

[GandD 5,966]

Why did my insurance premiums go up so many times before Obama? Like, every one to two years? At least now I may qualify to be subsidized. Yeah, suck it tax payers!