Under ME 'market-based' healthcare, young people pay less, older people pay more

Even as many states gear up for tougher insurance regulations under the federal health law, Maine lawmakers last year bucked the trend, loosening rules they blamed for some of the highest premiums in the nation. Proponents promised lower rates for all Maine residents, with increased competition among insurers. But six months after the state's rules took effect, no new insurers have entered the state—and premiums have gone up for the vast majority of small businesses. The results have been mixed for individuals: Everyone under 40 saw rate cuts, while most people over 55 received increases, some as high as 18 percent, according to an analysis of state data released Tuesday by advocacy group Consumers for Affordable Health Care, which opposed the law changes.