Personal Coverage Requirement and Making Premiums More Affordable
“‘People will drop coverage and those who stay in would see rate shock,’ Karen Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, the insurance industry trade group, said in an interview Monday.” Full story here.
– Associated Press, Insurers say coverage penalty has to have bite, 10/05/09
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“‘Fewer people participating will lead to higher premiums for everyone else,’ Robert Zirkelbach said. ‘We need to get everyone in.’
“Zirkelbach said AHIP will be sharing with lawmakers how this could affect their constituents, particularly the impact it could have on premiums.
“This is just one of the problematic things that industry has seen that appears to be counter to the goal of reducing costs, he said. Other amendments, he said, include lowering the age rating band from 5:1 to 4:1, increasing the taxes on insurers and applying duplicative regulations.”
– Inside Health Policy, Insurance Industry Pushes Back On Softening Of Individual Mandate, 10/05/09
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“‘These changes make it much more likely that people will go without coverage, and history has shown that this will lead to significantly higher premiums for all policy holders,’ said Robert Zirkelbach, spokesman for America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).” Full story here. (Subscription required.)
– CQ, Amended Baucus Bill: Good Politics, Bad Policy?, 10/02/09
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“Still, insurers are raising warning flags, saying that a smaller number of people in the insurance rolls will raise costs throughout the health sector. Robert Zirkelbach, a spokesman for the America’s Health Insurance Plans, or AHIP, trade group, said that it ‘increases the likelihood that premiums are going to increase for current policyholders.’” Full story here.
– Dow Jones, Senate Health Bill’s Individual Mandate Eased Despite Concerns, 10/02/09
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“‘History has demonstrated that insurance reforms without getting everybody covered drives up healthcare costs for individuals and families,’ said America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the lead insurance industry group, in a statement on Friday. ‘Unless everybody participates in the system the market reforms aren’t sustainable,’ said AHIP spokesman Robert Zirkelbach.” Full story here.
– Christian Science Monitor, Senate Democrats backpedal on health insurance mandate, 10/02/09
