Bye Bye Mr $13,000 ACA Family HSA Deductible in 16'

[Yagents]

CMS will require imbedded individual deductibles/max OOP for all HSA plans in 2016. YEAH!

No more family $12,000-$13,000 family deductible to be met first by a family anymore. No more writing 2 separate policies off exchange to avoid it. (Can't separate into 2 plans ON the exchange I believe)

How deceiving to the consumer, and even to some agents. I know UHC and Humana had family aggregate HSA deductibles this year. Aetna & Assurant had imbedded individual deductibles this year.

This of course will probably raise premiums, but who cares as we already hit "sky", let's push the "limit". UHC and Humana won't be as competitive in select markets next year.

Here is the Q&A on it

https://www.regtap.info/reg_librarye.php?i=819

 

[AllenChicago]

The pre-ACA $5,000 aggregate family deductible was fine, but like you said YAgents, the current $12K version is horrible. Thanks for sharing this good news for 2016! It's refreshing to see HHS use common sense.

 

[RayNY]

There's only 35 days to the submission deadline, and this is when they decide to change the requirements?

Carriers will be scrambling to develop new products, assess risk profiles, price accurately, and create a valid filing. The carriers I speak with indicated they began this process months ago.

Not saying the change is a bad idea, just badly timed.

 

[Ann H]

I can see why AllenChicago thinks this is a good thing. After all, a lot of families cannot afford a high aggregate deductible. However, there are clients who needed/wanted the higher family aggregate deductible. I wish we still had CHOICE. Putting them all in the same bucket takes away a valid option.

 

[dgoldenz]

I don't even think the marketplace lists which companies are aggregate and which are embedded. Brochures for off-exchange policies are usually confusing and unclear on the same thing....agreed that family $5k deductibles are fine, but $13k deductibles are ridiculous with ACA pricing. Sucks when that's all an existing client can afford and they make too much to qualify for a subsidy.