Friday, September 27, 2013

Health Insurers Scramble to Keep Healthy Customers

This article from the WSJ describes how insurers are "informing" their customers as the rollout of the health exchanges approaches.

One money quote is, "In most states, carriers are tailoring their messages based on the age and potential subsidy eligibility of their policyholders. Letters to younger, healthier members play up expected rate increases to discourage them from shopping on the exchanges. But in some cases insurers say they are encouraging older people to look at their options on the exchanges, where they might find lower rates."

Why would insurers discourage younger, healthier members from shopping on the exchanges while encouraging older people to do so?

Who can anticipate lower premiums on average under the ACA than before: young people, healthy people, old people, sick people, people with bare bones coverage before ACA? Which of the groups listed above can anticipate higher premiums?

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