As insurers selling on the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) Marketplaces begin to file their 2017 rates with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), concerns over proposed increases will once again emerge. But a report released by the HHS Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) demonstrates that behind the headlines about rate hikes, consumers are likely to see much more modest premiums after they have shopped around for the best deal and after subsidies are taken into account. Nonetheless, additional research released this week reminds us of more longstanding trends towards higher out-of-pocket costs that pose challenges for consumers, even as state and federal Marketplaces work to address these challenges.
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