Premium Rating Practices: How States Are Implementing the ACA's Reforms
Highlighting the essential role states continue to play in shaping the legal and regulatory landscape for health coverage, a new Commonwealth Fund issue brief examines the variety of state approaches to implementing the Affordable Care Act’s rating standards for insurance premiums.<p>
<div>Before the ACA, few states had legal standards limiting whether, and how much, insurers could charge consumers based on health status, gender, occupation, and other factors. Today, plans can no longer charge more to people with preexisting conditions. Premiums must be the same for everyone across a community, with variations permitted only on the basis of age, tobacco use, geographic location, and whether coverage is for an individual or a family.<p>
<p>Drawing on interviews with state insurance regulators, the brief also explores the critical considerations policymakers took into account when implementing the ACA’s requirements for 2014.<p>