Agents debate longevity of health insurance rate hikes

Insurance agents and brokers are divided over whether the new, larger health premiums will be around for good.

Life & Health

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News that health insurance premiums are set to increase in nearly every state—and by surprisingly high margins in Washington state and Virginia—left Insurance Business America readers divided over the long-term status of some of the changes.

First commenter Steve Shine noted that the new rates are reasonable, especially considering the potentially positive effects on emergency room traffic. He wrote:

Given the rates of increase before the implementation of the ACA, these future rate hikes seem reasonable plus more people are able to get healthcare, stay on their parents plans, and inferior plans are eliminated. ..not to mention our ERs will be freed up to actually work on emergencies.

John Greene was not so convinced, however, noting:

We'll know the actual rates in the fall but you know rates will rise because health care is not free and when you require more in the plan, the price goes up. Relative to ER visits, it is a good hypothesis but it doesn't pan out that way. In Mass which only had a very small uninsured population to begin with, saw no decline in ER visits. Some of it was due to the lack of primary care doctors so I think this will be true to with increase in coverage and demand for services.

Thanks to all our readers who commented this week!

 

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