HHS says a proposal from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to the Senate healthcare bill — which allows health insurers to sell non-ACA compliant coverage — could significantly reduce premiums for some ACA exchange enrollees by 2020, Politico reports.
The proposal could also increase health plan enrollment by up to 16.1 million individuals by 2024, HHS said. This is more than the roughly 14 million estimated under the ACA.
Politico notes the evaluation relies largely on an internal proprietary model. It also compares costs for a 47-year-old under the ACA to a 40-year-old under a policy tying the Cruz amendment to the ACA. In addition, the estimates are for noncompliant plans with deductibles and out-of-pocket costs as high as $12,000.