Obamacare Premiums Projected To Decrease In Arkansas

[n2doc]

Source: TPM

Health insurance premiums for plans sold under Obamacare in Arkansas are projected to decrease by an average of 2 percent next year, Gov. Mike Beebe's office announced Tuesday.

"This is an aggregate projection, meaning that some individual consumers will see a small increase in premiums, and others will see their costs drop more than two percent," Beebe's office said of the new estimates from the state insurance department.

As the Arkansas Times reported last week, Arkansas's 2015 rate filings were accidentally leaked from the insurance department. Beebe's office said Tuesday its official projections were being released "in light of incomplete information that was inadvertently posted on an Insurance Department Web site."

Arkansas has been a key state in Obamacare's rollout. Beebe pioneered the "private option" for Medicaid expansion that used Medicaid dollars to pay for private plans purchased through the state's insurance exchange. It has since been emulated by several other states. Arkansas is also a Senate battleground state where incumbent Democratic senator Mark Pryor has been attacked over the law.

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/arkansas-obamacare-premiums-decrease

[Kber]

1. Wait, what!?

That's not how it was supposed to work.

[underpants]

2. Conn, CA (Kaiser) too. One factor could be the MLR

Medical Loss Ratio - 80% of premiums must be spent by the insurance co.s on direct services (and some R&D). I think the number in 2013 was $1.8 B either going back to customers or reducing premiums. MLR was the premium control in Obamacare.

[tridim]

3. Ouch, GOP.

Good luck with that.

[LiberalArkie]

4. Don't worry the will say "It is hurting the poor insurance companies and may force them out of

business". Hey don't laugh, they used that line to make it so student loans had to be paid off even if you died.

[Hestia]

5. along with all the anti-obama care ads that will really ratchet up now that this info has been

posted. Karl Rove has been working overtime here with the endless freakin' ads!

It was good to see David Pryor along with Mark Pryor talking about Mark's bought with cancer and the costs involved. He stated that he voted for "Obama Care" without calling it that. It's ACA people, ACA.

Hi LiberalArkie

[politicaljunkie41910]

6. Since most of the GOP's base doesn't know what "aggregate" means, they will say "Obama lied"

if they happen to be one of those whose premiums goes up, or they will lie even if their's don't. It won't matter that an average will see their premiums drop by 2 percent. Faux News and CNN will find those people who premiums went up and they will be crying about "how Obama lied" and how it's hurting Grandma. It's not like those red stater's ever liked the President anyway, as they continue to vote against their own interests. But they'll be crying anyway and the press will lap it all up. The lame stream media probably won't even bother to verify it. That's too much like work.