Benefits Pro reported on CAHC’s Joel White testifying before the Senate last week on rising ACA premiums.
Joel White, president of the Council for Affordable Health Coverage, testified at the hearing that, because of the ACA rules, the average number of health insurers in each state has dropped to four, from about 30 in 2011.
Many small employers have stopped offering health benefits and sent workers to HealthCare.gov and other Obamacare exchange programs to get their coverage, and the typical deductibles are now three times higher than they were before the Obamacare rules came along, White said.
“The ACA’s core design requires consumers to purchase comprehensive and expensive plans,” White said. “The law regulates who can buy and sell what and where, then offers incentives to purchase the most expensive plans available on the market.”
White said many exchange plans now for sale come with deductibles of $10,000 or even $15,000 per year.
“That is not affordable for the typical American,” White said.