The news has been busy this week about expected increases in premiums for theAffordable Care Act or Obamacare. But a spokesperson for a group supporting Obamacare says there is another side to the story.
Open enrollment begins November 1.
Kevin Kane from Citizen Action of Wisconsin says the increases widely reported are only for plans that are the same as last year....
".....they don't include new plans, they don't include new companies. We have new companies and new plans across Wisconsin. When you look at the most commonly purchased plan with the new one, you'll see the difference isn't that bad. Not to mention the tax credits designed to mitigate the cost of health insurance for individuals...."
Kane says they looked at costs in the most commonly purchased plans within the larger communities. He says premiums are going up about 16 percent, but deductibles are going down by a larger number than that. He says tax credits are going up. Kane cites Rhinelander's situation. He says within the most commonly purchased plan, the rates are the same as last year, the deductible has dropped $1,000 and then there's added tax credits...
"....the premiums are the same, or about average, deductibles are a little more moderate, and the tax credits are slightly higher. Overall, it's not the best news but it's not like giant increases for people...."
The state Office of the Commissioner of Insurance recommends doing a lot of shopping around and contact a local insurance professional if you need help.
