Analysis of Changes in the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces, 2016-2017

The RWJF database contains detailed information on all marketplace plans sold since 2014, allowing year-to-year comparisons of premiums, benefits, and carrier participation. Additional data sources will provide information about rating areas and corporate ownership of individual insurance carriers. In this phase of the project, the NORC team will update its analysis of cost-sharing in marketplace plans and examine trends in cost-reduced plans for low- and moderate income enrollees that are at risk under the House v. Burwell case. The team will also analyze differences in premium growth for offered plans versus purchased plans in states where 2016–17 plan enrollment data are available.

This research will inform policymakers, the media, and consumers on changes in marketplace costs, benefit design, and competition among insurers, bringing methodologically rigorous analysis to the ongoing debate over marketplace stability and plan affordability.