Health insurance markets in states where political leaders opposed the Affordable Care Act face increasing marketplace and exchange problems, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Opposition to the ACA — including blocking Medicaid expansion, creating enrollment barriers and refuting the placement of health plans on ACA marketplaces — has led to marketplaces unbalanced by poorer, sicker customers.
Eight of the nine states facing tightened health insurance markets next year have not expanded Medicaid. This has caused insurers to face losses due to sicker and costlier customers joining their risk pools, leading them to implement premium hikes or pullbacks, according to the report.
Comparatively, states like California, which spent hundreds of millions on outreach campaigns, have more competitive markets. However, states like California are still facing high premiums and insurer pullbacks, the Los Angeles Times reports.
More articles about payer issues:
US probe still preventing Cigna from enrolling new Medicare members
Responding to insurer complaints, CMS to test pre-enrollment checks for ACA
BCBS parent company offers employee buyouts: 4 things to know