Big insurers avoid many state health exchanges

[brentspeak]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/20/little-competition-insurers-some-states-obamacare-plans/2986795/

Big insurers avoid many state health exchanges

10:27 a.m. EDT October 20, 2013

So few insurers offer plans on some of the new government health insurance exchanges that consumers in those states may pay too much or face large rate increases later, insurance experts say.

An average of eight insurers compete for business in 36 states that had exchanges run or supported by the federal government last month, the Department of Health and Human Services says. (Idaho has since started its own exchange.) But just because an insurer sells in a state, it doesn't mean it sells in every area of a state so many residents have far fewer options.

Many state-run exchanges also have far fewer than HHS' average, which is weighted based on the number of uninsured residents in an area. Vermont has two, Kentucky has three and Nevada and Maryland each have four.

Some insurers pulled out of the exchanges required by the Affordable Care Act as the Oct. 1 launch approached. That leaves an uneven patchwork of providers — ranging from one insurer in New Hampshire and West Virginia to 16 in New York.

[LukeFL]

1. Of coursr😁

They wAnt to fail as much as repubs. All if them are in one big wealthy circle.

😔😌

[Loudly]

2. Federal rate regulation please.

And mandatory participation in a minimum number of states.

Until we have the political will to replace that labirynth with Medicare availability for all.

[silverweb]

3. Fools.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Removing themselves from the playing field because they don't like the new rules? Good!

They hasten the day when we won't need insurance companies to play middlemen any more at all and we'll have single-payer, universal health care -- Medicare for all!

[TwilightGardener]

4. Give them a chance to compete for business, and prices will go down! Free market!

That's what we're always told. So what happens when they refuse to compete, and keep prices high?

[WorseBeforeBetter]

5. Two insurers in North Carolina... good article about how f*cked the state is.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10693946

(Yes, I'm linking to my own OP...)

[pnwmom]

6. I wonder what states are doing to encourage or discourage

insurers from applying to be on the exchanges? Why are some states so much more successful?

If I were living in one of those other states I'd be demanding some answers.