Health insurers urge brokers to brace for sharp increases in premium costs

Mar 24 2013

The Wall Street Journal reports that health insurers are quietly issuing this warning to brokers. Meanwhile, an Ohio insurance company will drop its lawsuit regarding confusion over rules related to the health law's high risk insurance program.

The Wall Street Journal: Health Insurers Warn On Premiums
Health insurers are privately warning brokers that premiums for many individuals and small businesses could increase sharply next year because of the health-care overhaul law, with the nation's biggest firm projecting that rates could more than double for some consumers buying their own plans (Mathews and Radnofsky, 3/21).

The Associated Press: Ohio Health Insurance Company Drops Lawsuit
An Ohio health insurance company dropped its lawsuit Thursday against state and federal officials over confusion in rules for a program for patients with pre-existing medical conditions. At issue is a high-risk insurance pool created by President Barack Obama's health care law targeting patients turned away by insurance companies because of such conditions as cancer or heart disease (Sanner, 3/21).

Meanwhile, in other news, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid released a brief about who the nation's uninsured are.

Kaiser Health News: Capsules: Who Are The Uninsured? The Feds Parse The Numbers
There are 48.4 million uninsured Americans -; about 18 percent of the population -; according to the last Census. But who are they? And what is the best way to get them signed up for new health insurance coverage options that roll out this fall? The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has just released a brief for those with a stake in getting people signed up, including insurers, consumer advocates and state officials. The analysis breaks the uninsured down by age, race, geography and "lifestyle and psychographic segments" (Gold, 3/22).