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Top 3 Healthcare Reform Changes Insurers Want Now
Jacqueline Fellows, for HealthLeaders Media, November 7, 2012
2.Loosen age-rating restrictions.
Starting January 1, 2014, the most a health insurer can charge an older person for coverage is three times the amount of a younger person. This is significantly lower than the ratio allowed now by most states, which is now 5:1.
The thinking behind the age-rating ratio is that older people use more services, so they pay more. Health insurers argue that reducing the amount they're able to charge doesn't decrease the amount the services cost, so, again, insurance premiums will rise for younger people who will be subsidizing a large chunk of care.
With an aging baby boomer population, insurers see this as a road to nowhere good.
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