Georgia Health Insurance Exchange

[somarco]

Seven health insurers have signed up to offer benefits plans in the online insurance exchange that will begin enrolling Georgians in October.

Aetna, Alliant, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia, Coventry, Humana, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, and Peach State will offer a range of plans for individuals in Georgia as part of the Affordable Care Act’s exchange, or “marketplace,” which will debut in 2014.

7 insurers plan to participate in Georgia exchange | Georgia Health News
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“On average, these plans are coming in slightly less than premiums of employer plans,’’ said Custer.

He said he based that assessment on premiums for a single person in employer plans in the 2012 Kaiser Family

Foundation/HRET benefits survey, where an HMO plan for an individual in the South averaged $456 per month.
“A lot of the fears about premium shock are unfounded, at least in these preliminary filings,’’ Custer said.

For starters, averages are mostly meaningless unless the buyer is . . . average.
But where Prof. Custer really blows it is in comparing individual rates (and apparently nothing else) with group rates.

Small group starting rates are roughly 2x individual rates for similar plans.

It would appear Mr. Custer also failed to consider the tiny networks that will be used by carriers participating in HIX and the even skinnier drug formulary.

InsureBlog: Obamacare | GSU Prof. Bill Custer Whiffs It

 

[STIBROKER]

Bob....did you not get the Marketplace Memo..........

 

[somarco]

Ignored it Scott. Figured it will morph into something else at least a couple more times before 2014.
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The Georgia Health Insurance Exchange will be operated through a federally-run health insurance exchange, also referred to as the Health Insurance Marketplace. Starting in October 2013 Georgia residents will be able to access information about all the plans available through the Exchange. The SHOP Exchange will also be available to small businesses with 100 or fewer employers. Coverage from the Exchange starts in January 2014.

According to an estimate by healthcare.gov, 1,698,880 or 20% of Georgia’s non-elderly residents are uninsured, of whom 1,592,480 (94%) may qualify for either tax credits to purchase coverage in the Marketplace or for Medicaid if Georgia participates in the Medicaid expansion.

Health Insurance Exchange | Georgia Edition