August 19, 2016 | The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been known to be one very intricate and detailed monster. Many Americans throughout Northwest Missouri find themselves afraid of it, and many are just uneducated about it. What most of us don’t know is that the ACA has helped millions of people throughout our communities find the health coverage they need for themselves and their families. You can click here for more information on the ACA.
According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) , the medical costs per-enrollee in the ACA marketplace were unchanged in 2015. Even as costs in the broader insurance marketplace continued to rise, states like Missouri with the highest enrollment growth saw significant reductions in per-enrollee medical costs. Experts expected the ACA risk pool to improve over time as enrollment grew, and the new data suggest this occurred in 2015.
In today’s report, per-member-per-month claims in the individual market were essentially unchanged from 2014 to 2015, falling by 0.1 percent. Indicators of per-member cost growth in the broader private insurance market (such as employer coverage and Medicare) rose by 3 to 6 percent in 2015. In other words, the ACA has remained affordable while the broader insurance market has become more expensive.
You can view the report here: https://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/Forms-Reports-and-Other-Resources/Downloads/Final-Risk-Pool-Analysis-8_11_16.pdf
Moving forward, the ACA is growing and improving over the next several years. If you, or someone you know is in need of health insurance and needs to find out more about the ACA, then please contact us. Northwest Health Services has a full-time Certified Application Counselor on site to provide support for any questions you might have in regards to insurance and the ACA. We would love to help you.
Open enrollment for the ACA will take place from November 1 – January 31. For questions or to make an appointment, please call 816-261-3738. You may also visit https://www.healthcare.gov/ for additional information.
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