Hc.gov Marketing Email

[Tkruger]

Just noticed this cleaning out my inbox this am.

8 out of 10 people who enrolled in a health insurance plan qualified for financial help. In fact, most people can find monthly premiums for $75 or less.

I find that claim quite off.

What was the average monthly premiums you saw?

 

[TN_agent]

I would say that 51% of all people who went through the exchange through me (because I prescreen income, so I wasn't sending unqualified people there) were able to FIND one (lowest premium, crappy network, 6500 deductible) plan for less than $75 per FAMILY MEMBER per month. That is NOT the same as ENROLLING in one. That includes the ones I sent to the marketplace directly who were put onto Medicaid because I am sure the gummint is counting those people.

Government statistics are all about technicalities and phrasing.

 

[sman]

Just noticed this cleaning out my inbox this am.

8 out of 10 people who enrolled in a health insurance plan qualified for financial help. In fact, most people can find monthly premiums for $75 or less.

I find that claim quite off.

What was the average monthly premiums you saw?

I have exactly 4 people with a net premium of $75 or less. Of course, I have very few single people as clients and that's where you're most likely to see it. My average on-exchange premium per client is $371.57 per month. The pre-subsidy premium is $624.58. My average off-exchange premium is $800.91 per month. These figures include all applicants so there are some singles and families.

These are my figures for new enrollments completed between November 1st and December 15th (whether it was an existing client changing plans or a new client). I'm sure the numbers would change some if I included those who just renewed and didn't have to complete a new application.

 

[russelltw]

Average cost of plan without subsidy - $528 per person
Average member's portion - $94 per person
*Does not include passive enrollments

112 members have less than $75/month premium
35 have less than $1/month premium

 

[RayNY]

I LOVE reading government propaganda. Their careful wording is fun to dissect.

The thing in this one was "can find" not "did get". They aren't saying that people paid less than $75, just that an option existed under that price.

https://aspe.hhs.gov/basic-report/health-plan-choice-and-premiums-2016-health-insurance-marketplace has the data that supports the claim (search, CTRL+F, for "TABLE 3") Do note, only looks at 37 states, and they've excluded high cost states like CA and NY, also excluded tobacco users in VA.

For 2016: 78% have the ability to purchase a Bronze plan at <$100, 72% for <$75. This is where that stat comes from. They also note that this requires the assumption that 80% of marketplace enrollees are between 100-400%FPL.

The stat drops to 54% for silver@$75, and we all know that anyone getting that big a subsidy is also getting CSR and going on a silver plan anyway.