Health Insurance Marketplaces: Issuer Participation and Premium Trends in Rural Places, 2018.

Purpose: Since 2014, when the Health Insurance Marketplaces (HIMs) authorized by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) were implemented, considerable premium changes have been observed in the marketplaces across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. This policy brief assesses the changes in average HIM plan premiums from 2014 to 2018, before accounting for subsidies, with an emphasis on the widening variation across rural and urban places, providing information during Congressional debates on the future of the program.

Key Findings: (1) Insurance issuers reduced HIM participation across both rural and urban places (with 1.

2016 Rural Enrollment in Health Insurance Marketplaces, by State.

Purpose. In this brief, cumulative county-level enrollment in Health Insurance Marketplaces (HIMs) through March 2016 is presented for state HIMs operated as Federally Facilitated Marketplaces (FFMs) and for those operated as Federally Supported State-Based Marketplaces (FS-SBMs). Enrollment rates in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas of each state, defined as the percentage of “potential market” participants selecting plans, are presented.

Health Insurance Marketplaces: Premium Trends in Rural Areas.

Since 2014, when the Health Insurance Marketplaces (HIMs) authorized by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) were implemented, considerable premium changes have been observed in the marketplaces across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. This policy brief assesses the changes in average HIM plan premiums from 2014 to 2016, before accounting for subsidies, with an emphasis on the widening variation across rural and urban places. Since this brief focuses on premiums without accounting for subsidies, this is not intended to be an analysis of the "affordability" of ACA premiums, as that would require assessment of premiums, cost-sharing adjustments, and other factors.

Rural Enrollment in Health Insurance Marketplaces, by State.

Since passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), much attention has been focused on the functioning of Health Insurance Marketplaces (HIMs). In this brief, cumulative county-level enrollment in HIMs through March 2015 is presented for state HIMs operated as Federally Facilitated Marketplaces (FFMs) and Federally Supported State-Based Marketplaces (FS-SBMs). We provide comparisons between enrollment in urban and rural areas of each state and corresponding percentages of "potential market" participants enrolled.

Rural Enrollment in Health Insurance Marketplaces.

Our previous analysis of 2015 Health Insurance Marketplace (HIM) data on plan availability and premiums in comparison to 2014 showed only modest premium increases in many rural areas and increased firm participation in most areas. To determine whether HIM enrollment also shows a positive trend, we analyzed county-level HIM enrollment data for 2015 by geographic categories, population density, premium, and firm participation, comparing enrollment outcomes in rural places to those in urban places. Key Findings.

Health Insurance Marketplaces: Early Findings on Changes in Plan Availability and Premiums in Rural Places, 2014-2015.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act established Health Insurance Marketplaces (HIMs) in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. This policy brief assesses the changes in HIMs from 2014 to 2015 in terms of choices offered and premiums charged, with emphasis on how these measures vary across rural and urban places. Key Findings.

Geographic variation in premiums in health insurance marketplaces.

This policy brief analyzes the 2014 premiums associated with qualified health plans (QHPs) made available through new health insurance marketplaces (HIMs), an implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010. We report differences in premiums by insurance rating areas while controlling for other important factors such as the actuarial value of the plan (metal level), cost-of-living differences, and state-level decisions over type of rating area. While market equilibrium, based on experience and understanding of the characteristics of the new market, should not be expected this soon, preliminary results give policymakers key issues to monitor.

A guide to understanding the variation in premiums in rural health insurance marketplaces.

Key Findings. (1) State-level decisions in implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) have led to significant state variation in the design of Health Insurance Marketplace (HIM) rating areas. In some designs, rural counties are grouped together, while in others, rural and urban counties have been deliberately mixed.

The uninsured: an analysis by age, income, and geography.

Key Findings. (1) Assuming Medicaid expansion in each of the fifty states and the District of Columbia, a larger proportion of the rural (non-metropolitan) uninsured (43.5%) than the urban uninsured (38.

The uninsured: an analysis by income and geography.

Key Findings. (1) A larger proportion of the rural population than the urban population is uninsured and low income (living at or below 138% of the federal poverty line [FPL]) (9.9% as compared to 8.

Federal employees health program experiences lack of competition in some areas, raising cost concerns for exchange plans.

The Affordable Care Act calls for creation of health insurance exchanges designed to provide private health insurance plan choices. The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program is a national model that to some extent resembles the planned exchanges. Both offer plans at the state level but are also overseen by the federal government.