Study: Half of individual market consumers to get ACA subsidy

About half the people who now buy their own health insurance — and potentially would face higher premiums next year under ACA — would qualify for federal tax credits to offset increased rates, according to a new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation (Source: “Half who now buy own health coverage to get aid, study finds,” Associated Press via Modern Healthcare, Aug. 14, 2013). 

The study found that 48 percent of families currently buying their own coverage would be eligible for tax credits next year, averaging $5,548 per family, or 66 percent of the average cost of a benchmark "silver" policy offered through new state insurance markets.

"About half of the people won't be paying the sticker price," said Gary Claxton, director of the health care marketplace project at Kaiser, an information clearinghouse on the health care system. "The people who get help will get quite a lot of help."