‘STABILIZED’

Small Premium Increases Expected for Obamacare in 2019: Report

A new report says the insurance market is stabilizing.

Those covered by the Affordable Care Act will experience only small premium increases next year, compared to large hikes in previous years, according to a report from the Associated Press and consulting firm Avalere Health. The AP reports that the ACA’s insurance market is “stabilizing.” The report found there would be a 3.6 percent increase on average in 2019 in 47 states and Washington, D.C. This year, the average increase was about 30 percent. Premiums will likely drop or rise by less then 10 percent in 41 states, and increase between 10 and 18 percent in six states and Washington D.C. In 19 states, there will either be more insurers in the program or insurer expansion into new areas, providing more options for consumers. “This is still a market that’s unaffordable for many people who aren’t eligible for subsidies,” said Chris Sloan, an Avalere director. The ACA remains controversial, and President Donald Trump has called it a “disaster.”