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80% of HealthCare.gov Enrollees Could Have Premiums Less Than $100
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Almost 6.5 million individuals using the federally facilitated Marketplace qualify for an average of $268 per person per month in advanced premium tax credits, according to a new report from HHS.
In the last week of open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act, HHS released a report that found almost 6.5 million individuals using the federally facilitated Marketplace qualify for an average of $268 per person per month in advanced premium tax credits.
More than 80% of individuals who selected plans in the 37 states using HealthCare.gov qualify for an advanced premium tax credit.
“… millions of Americans already are counting on the financial assistance the Affordable Care Act provides to put quality, affordable health insurance coverage within reach,” HHS Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell said in a statement. “Consumers who sign up in states using HealthCare.gov are saving $268 a month on their premiums on average, and nearly 8 in 10 could select a plan with a premium of $100 or less with tax credits.”
Although 79% of individuals have the option of a net premium of less than $100 after the tax credit, based on the actual plan choices to date, only 53% of individuals will have a net premium of $100 or less. Furthermore, 31% of individuals have selected or re-enrolled in plans with a net premium of $50 or less after credit.
“Based on plan selections and re-enrollments as of January 30, 2015 for the current open enrollment period, advance premium tax credits are estimated to reduce premiums by over $1 billion a month for individuals selecting health insurance coverage through the Marketplaces in the 37 states using the HealthCare.gov platform,” Arpit Misra and Thomas Tsai wrote in the report.
On average, advance premium tax credits will cover approximately 72% of the gross premium with the average net premium estimated to be $105 per month for individuals qualifying for the credit.
The report also broke down the statistics by state and found that Mississippi had the highest proportion (94%) of plan selections with advanced premium tax credits. The state also had the lowest average net premium after tax credits at just $47 compared with New Jersey, which had the highest average net premium after tax credits at $172.
