New Affordable Care Act Grants to Mitigate High Premium Increases

New grant awards under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act totaling $109 million will be dispersed to 28 states and the District of Columbia to help fight large premium increases from health insurers, according to a news release from the Department of Health and Human Services.

As of Sept. 1, 2011, health insurers looking to increase their rates by 10 percent or more in the individual and small group market must submit a request for review to determine if the rate hikes are unreasonable.

States are proposing to use these grant funds in several ways, such as introducing new legislation, expanding the scope of rate review, improving rate filing requirements, improving consumer interfaces on websites, hiring new staff and enhancing IT.

Related Articles on Health Insurance Premiums:

Medicare Advantage Premiums to Dip, Enrollment to Increase in 2012
Analysis Shows Indiana Employers Would Rather Cut Coverage Than Increase Premiums
Double-Digit Health Insurance Rate Hikes Now Must Be Justified

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