Is Obamacare in NYS Sustainable?NYS Obamacare Lost $100 Million

According to a released study by United Hospital Fund May 2016 report Insurance companies operating on New York’s individual exchange market lost $100 million in 2014.

With recent news of Insurers reporting mounting losses (UnitedHealthcare will drop ACA exchanges) on the Individual Marketplace it wouldn’t be surprising for the next year’s Study to show even greater losses in 2015.  As reported last month, the average  NYS 2017 Rate Requests for individual marketplace was 17.3%.

Lower premiums, reinsurance and subsidies made coverage more affordable. “For many years in New York, annual individual premium increases far outpaced the offsetting effects of both a $38 million state-funded reinsurance program,12 and a risk-adjustment mechanism that provided a cross-subsidy from the small group market to the individual market, valued at $62 million in 2009.13 In 2014, new enrollment, PHSP participation, more competitive pricing, a better risk pool, and a federal reinsurance program resulted in an average individual monthly premium of $430.97 in New York.”  The ACA subsidies reduced premiums by an average of $215/month

NYS Obamacare Future? 

“More affordable premiums have been a key factor in the growth of the individual market. The loss of federal reinsurance payments will create an upward pressure on rates, and the absence of federal risk corridor reimbursement will also continue to reverberate.” Consumers with Obamacare subsidies will be shielded from most of the premium increases that may occur, but off-Exchange enrollees and NYSOH customers without subsidies could face significant monthly increases.

Read the UHF report here:

NYS Obamacare Study by United Hospital Fund

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