[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″ el_class=”section section3″][vc_column_text]According to a study, those in rural America that are registered with the Affordable Care Act are getting subsidies that have received more than those living in urban areas in regards to the White House removing cost-sharing reduction payments and the ensuring actions of the state.
A Health Affairs study shows that from 2014 to 2017, Americans in urban areas had access to lower-cost plans than those living in rural areas. However, that became quite the opposite in 2018 and on due to the elimination of the cost-sharing reduction payments, which influenced the cost of premiums. The average lowest costs of health for those receiving subsidies were $157 last year from $288 in 2017, which is a decrease of 45 and a half percent. Premiums also went down to $180 from $275, which is a 34 and a half percent decrease in cost.
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They discovered that the states that implemented the silver-loading or silver-switching strategies to make up for the cost-sharing reduction payment cuts provided much more affordable premiums for those receiving subsidies in the program.
Plans that increased premiums on all silver plans were silver-loaded. Silver-switching was when the premiums only increased on silver plans within the Affordable Care Act exchanges while providing options for third party plans without any increase of premiums.
The researchers found that the states that loaded the subsidy costs by silver loading or silver switching had an increase in lowering plan costs for those receiving subsidies compared to the states that did a spread of loading or did nothing at all. The premiums cost less for subsidized participants as the subsidies are linked to the premiums of silver plans.
The cost-sharing reduction payment elimination did not do anything for states that had Medicaid expansions as it reduced the number of people that would be qualified for subsidies.
Currently, the Trump administration has asked for opinions on possibly making it illegal for silver-loading. Billions of dollars have been paid to insurance companies from lawsuits due to unreceived payments due to the termination of cost-sharing reduction payments. Silver-loading has also shown to be quite costly for the government.
However, if the process is banned, insurance companies could use broad loading, which would increase the prices of all plans to make up for the eliminated cost-sharing reduction payments[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”37976″ img_size=”293×286″ style=”vc_box_shadow”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
