Guide to Understanding the Variation in Premiums in Rural Health Insurance Marketplaces. Rural Policy Brief.

摘要

The ACA required all 50 states and the District of Columbia to establish HIMs. The marketplace structure is meant to deliver more affordable insurance options across the population by harnessing the power of competition in a setting that has been carefully designed to promote transparency for consumers. A range of factors affect how consumers, policymakers and others should assess and compare choices, premiums, and other aspects of HIM plans. This brief discusses several important factors that should be considered when comparing health insurance plans in the HIMs across geographic areas: The design of rating areas (which is a state-level decision); The effects of age, family status, and tobacco use on actuarial value; The metal level of the plans (bronze, silver, gold, platinum) and their actuarial values; and The cost of living in the rating area.