President Obama says the health care law makes coverage more
affordable, but the insurance industry reacted to the Supreme Court
decision by saying that the ruling will actually end up raising rates
even more than they have climbed since the law was enacted.
America’s Health Insurance Plans, the industry’s lobby group, issued a statement supporting expanding health care coverage to millions of Americans, but it said, “major provisions, such as the premium tax, will have unintended consequences of raising costs and disrupting coverage unless they are addressed.”
The group’s CEO, Karen Ignagni, told Fox News that because of the increased costs, “It’s time for people to roll up their sleeves and look very carefully at those provisions.”
The Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit research group, has said that the average family insurance premium in 2011 topped $15,000 — a 9 percent increase from the year before, while premiums had climbed just 3 percent a year before the law went into effect.
AETNA, the nation’s fourth largest insurer, says its polices increased from 1 to 2 percent.
“Three percent is a material increase,” said Ignagni, who cited the legislation’s premium tax. “That is one example of provision embedded in the legislation that will work in the wrong direction than consumer expectations.”
But others claimed the law eventually will lower insurance premiums because of the large pool of Americans who will be covered. The group FamilesUSA called the decision, “a clear, unambiguous and complete victory for long-overdue health care reform.”
Read more: http://patdollard.com/2012/06/insurance-industry-issues-press-release-warning-obamacare-will-cause-unprecedented-rate-increases/
America’s Health Insurance Plans, the industry’s lobby group, issued a statement supporting expanding health care coverage to millions of Americans, but it said, “major provisions, such as the premium tax, will have unintended consequences of raising costs and disrupting coverage unless they are addressed.”
The group’s CEO, Karen Ignagni, told Fox News that because of the increased costs, “It’s time for people to roll up their sleeves and look very carefully at those provisions.”
The Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit research group, has said that the average family insurance premium in 2011 topped $15,000 — a 9 percent increase from the year before, while premiums had climbed just 3 percent a year before the law went into effect.
AETNA, the nation’s fourth largest insurer, says its polices increased from 1 to 2 percent.
“Three percent is a material increase,” said Ignagni, who cited the legislation’s premium tax. “That is one example of provision embedded in the legislation that will work in the wrong direction than consumer expectations.”
But others claimed the law eventually will lower insurance premiums because of the large pool of Americans who will be covered. The group FamilesUSA called the decision, “a clear, unambiguous and complete victory for long-overdue health care reform.”
Read more: http://patdollard.com/2012/06/insurance-industry-issues-press-release-warning-obamacare-will-cause-unprecedented-rate-increases/
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