[Lamplighter]

Wall Street Journal
9/25/13

Prices Set for New Health-Care Exchanges



U.S. officials for the first time disclosed insurance prices that will be offered
through new federally run health-care exchanges starting Oct. 1, showing that
young, healthy buyers likely will pay more than they do currently
while older, sicker consumers should get a break.

The plans, offered under the health-care overhaul to people who don't get insurance
through an employer or government program, in many cases provide broader coverage than current policies.

Across the country, the average premium for a 27-year-old nonsmoker,
regardless of gender, will start at $163 a month for the lowest-cost "bronze" plan;
$203 for the "silver" plan, which provides more benefits than bronze; and
$240 for the more-comprehensive "gold" plan.<snip>

The Affordable Care Act marks a fundamental shift in the way insurers price their products.
Carriers won't be allowed to charge higher premiums for consumers
who have medical histories suggesting they might be more expensive
to cover because they need more care. They will have to treat customers equally,
with limited variation in premiums based on buyers' ages or whether they smoke.
Insurers also will have to offer a more generous benefits package that includes
hospital care, preventive services, prescription drugs and maternity coverage.
<snip>
The administration has pointed to new federal subsidies that
many lower-income Americans will be able to use to help offset the cost of premiums.
The data released by the administration indicated that for younger single people,
the value of the subsidies would be generous for someone with an annual income
of up to about $25,000, though it could tail off after that.