Predictions from some states warning that health insurance costs will increase significantly in federally facilitated exchanges are incorrect, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Monday, according to a Reuters report.
HHS doesn't plan to release final health insurance rates for the federally run exchanges until September, so the information some states are currently distributing about the rates is erroneous, Sec. Sebelius said, according to the report. As of June 2013, the federal government will operate health insurance exchanges in 34 states that have opted not to build their own exchanges under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Some states where the federal government will facilitate insurance exchanges starting Oct. 1 have predicted that premiums will skyrocket. Ohio forecasted premium increases averaging 41 percent for individual consumers purchasing coverage through the exchange, and Florida similarly predicted individual insurance premium increases of up to 40 percent.
HHS announced last month that insurance premiums for individual policies will cost 18 percent less than expected in 11 states that have opted to run their own exchanges and have released premium information.
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