Premiums stable, more choices available in 2020 ACA marketplace

Consumers will have more health insurance choices next year in the ACA marketplace and premiums will dip slightly for many, the Trump administration announced Tuesday (Source: “More choices and stable premiums for ‘Obamacare’ next year,” Associated Press, Oct. 22, 2019).

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, an additional 20 insurers will participate in ACA marketplaces in 2020, expanding consumer choice in many states. Nearly 70 percent of customers will have three or more insurers from which to pick a plan.

About 10 million people are covered through the health law’s insurance markets, which offer taxpayer-subsidized private plans for people who aren’t covered on the job. Premiums for a hypothetical 27-year-old choosing a standard plan will decline 4% on average in 2020 for states (including Ohio) served by the federal HealthCare.gov website, the Trump administration said.