Today eHealth, Inc. released results from a survey of health insurance companies touching on ACA enrollment trends, public policy issues, and the politics of health care in the United States.
Insurers offering Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage in the individual and family market and with whom eHealth has a relationship were invited to participate in the survey, which was conducted in May 2019. A total 17 responses were received from insurers collectively insuring approximately 80 million Americans and offering ACA plans in all 50 states.
Highlights from the survey:
More than twice as many insurers intend to increase plan offerings for 2020 as compared with 2019, with premiums holding fairly steady
45 percent of respondents intend to add to the number of ACA plans they’ll offer in 2020, compared to 21 percent who did so for the 2019 plan year*.
42 percent said they expect to raise premiums between 5 and 10 percent over 2019 rates. Thirty-three percent do not expect to make any noteworthy changes to premiums, while 23 percent expect to reduce monthly premiums by 5 percent or more.
A majority of insurers said that sales during the ACA’s last open enrollment period were close to expectations
69 percent of insurers responding to the survey said that sales during the last open enrollment period were within 10 percent of their expectations. Fifteen percent reported that sales outpaced expectations by 10 to 15 percent, while another 15 percent of said sales were 10 percent or more below expectations.
Insurers are monitoring the “Medicare for all” discussion but few see big changes on the horizon
71 percent of respondents said they are paying attention to public discussions about “Medicare for all” but don’t expect major changes, compared to 67 percent in 2018*.
Read eHealth’s report for additional survey results.
