Premiums for health plans sold through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act federal marketplace increased by 9 percent in the past year, according to a new report from the Department of Health and Human Services.
That means that the average total montly premium paid in the 38 states that use the Healthcare.gov portal has risen to $408.
But very few consumers are paying nearly that much, since the solid majority of marketplace consumers receive federal tax credits to cover at least a portion of their premium. Only 17 percent of marketplace buyers do not receive any subsidy, and the average consumer receives a credit that lowers their premium by 72 percent. Hence, the average consumer pays $113 a month for an Obamacare plan.
Recommended For You
At 30 percent, New Hampshire has the highest proportion of marketplace consumers who do not receive tax credits for their plans. But in many states, more than 90 percent of those who bought Obamacare plans were eligible for subsidies. In Florida, which boasts a PPACA enrollment of over 700,000, by far the largest in the nation, 94 percent of marketplace consumers receive tax credits.
Not included in the study was the cost forecast for the dozen states that run their own marketplaces. Minnesota, for instance, had the lowest premiums in the country, but insurers on its state-run marketplace hiked rates dramatically this year, raising the average cost of a silver plan by 36 percent, according to a November study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
The report also touts evidence that marketplace customers are comparing plans and switching in order to save money. It claims that those enrolled in the marketplace last year who switched plans during the most recent open enrollment period saved an average of $43 per month by changing plans.
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
