A new analysis of consumer pools for health insurance markets shows that the likely nongroup insurance market participants are somewhat healthier and suffer from fewer chronic conditions than those who will take insurance through employers.
The report from the Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows that expected participants in the nongroup insurance market have significantly lower rates of obesity, smoking, high blood pressure, heart disease and arthritis.
The analysis concludes any rate shock that may occur upon the opening of the insurance exchange markets will normalize to lower exchange premiums over the long term because of the general health of the nongroup insurance exchange population.