Analysis of 2015 Premium Changes in the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplaces - The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation

Nov 17, 2014 | Cynthia Cox and Larry Levitt and Gary Claxton and Rosa Ma and Robin Duddy-Tenbrunsel

ADDED Nov. 17 – New MAP shows premium changes in every county in the country, and an updated TABLE captures changes in benchmark premiums for largest cities in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The map and 50-state table are updates to our September analysis, which examined premium changes for the lowest-cost bronze plan and the two lowest-cost silver plans in 16 major cities. The second-lowest cost silver plan in each state is of particular interest as it acts as a benchmark that helps determine how much assistance eligible individuals can receive in the form of federal tax credits. Although premium changes vary substantially across and within states, premium changes for 2015 in general are modest when looking at the low-cost insurers in the marketplaces, where enrollment is concentrated.

The tables below were first published in the Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of 2015 premium changes in September, 2014. They were updated in November, 2014 with the most recent premium data available.

Benchmark Silver Plans

This table presents the premiums and percent change in benchmark silver plans in a major city in each state. In addition to an enrollee’s income and family size, their second-lowest priced silver plan is used as the benchmark to determine the amount of financial assistance he or she can receive through the Marketplace.


Table 1: Monthly Silver Premiums for a 40 Year Old Non-Smoker Making $30,000 / Year
State Major City 2nd Lowest Cost Silver Before Tax Credit 2nd Lowest Cost Silver After Tax Credit
2014 2015 % Change from 2014 2014 2015 % Change from 2014
Alabama Birmingham $258 $264 2.5% $209 $208 -0.8%
Alaska Anchorage $380 $488 28.4% $165 $164 -0.8%
Arizona Phoenix $197 $177 -10.0% $197 $177 -10.0%
Arkansas Little Rock $306 $299 -2.3% $209 $208 -0.8%
California Los Angeles $255 $257 0.8% $209 $208 -0.8%
Colorado Denver $250 $211 -15.6% $209 $208 -0.8%
Connecticut Hartford $328 $312 -5.0% $209 $208 -0.8%
Delaware Wilmington $289 $301 4.1% $209 $208 -0.8%
DC Washington $242 $242 -0.2% $209 $208 -0.8%
Florida Miami $269 $274 1.8% $209 $208 -0.8%
Georgia Atlanta $251 $255 1.8% $209 $208 -0.8%
Hawaii Honolulu $183 $200 9.3% $181 $179 -0.8%
Idaho Boise $231 $210 -9.3% $209 $208 -0.8%
Illinois Chicago $212 $215 1.6% $209 $208 -0.8%
Indiana Indianapolis $354 $329 -7.0% $209 $208 -0.8%
Iowa Cedar Rapids $255 $246 -3.5% $209 $208 -0.8%
Kansas Wichita $198 $218 10.3% $198 $208 5.1%
Kentucky Louisville $205 $212 3.2% $205 $208 1.1%
Louisiana New Orleans $311 $296 -4.8% $209 $208 -0.8%
Maine Portland $295 $282 -4.4% $209 $208 -0.8%
Maryland Baltimore $229 $235 2.6% $209 $208 -0.8%
Massachusetts Boston $278 $257 -7.5% $209 $208 -0.8%
Michigan Detroit $224 $234 4.4% $209 $208 -0.8%
Minnesota Minneapolis $154 $183 18.5% $154 $183 18.5%
Mississippi Jackson $410 $305 -25.5% $209 $208 -0.8%
Missouri St Louis $263 $276 4.8% $209 $208 -0.8%
Montana Billings $258 $241 -6.6% $209 $208 -0.8%
Nebraska Omaha $271 $264 -2.6% $209 $208 -0.8%
Nevada Las Vegas $238 $237 -0.6% $209 $208 -0.8%
New Hampshire Manchester $289 $247 -14.6% $209 $208 -0.8%
New Jersey Newark $322 $316 -1.9% $209 $208 -0.8%
New Mexico Albuquerque $194 $171 -11.8% $194 $171 -11.8%
New York New York City $365 $372 1.8% $209 $208 -0.8%
North Carolina Charlotte $307 $328 7.0% $209 $208 -0.8%
North Dakota Fargo $271 $272 0.3% $209 $208 -0.8%
Ohio Cleveland $249 $247 -0.6% $209 $208 -0.8%
Oklahoma Oklah. City $201 $219 8.8% $201 $208 3.2%
Oregon Portland $201 $213 6.1% $201 $208 3.4%
Pennsylvania Philadelphia $300 $268 -10.7% $209 $208 -0.8%
Rhode Island Providence $293 $260 -11.2% $209 $208 -0.8%
South Carolina Columbia $269 $276 2.7% $209 $208 -0.8%
South Dakota Sioux Falls $264 $257 -2.8% $209 $208 -0.8%
Tennessee Nashville $188 $203 7.8% $188 $203 7.8%
Texas Houston $238 $250 5.3% $209 $208 -0.8%
Utah Salt Lake City $209 $215 2.7% $209 $208 -0.8%
Vermont Burlington $413 $436 5.6% $209 $208 -0.8%
Virginia Richmond $253 $260 2.7% $209 $208 -0.8%
Washington Seattle $281 $254 -9.8% $209 $208 -0.8%
West Virginia Huntington $254 $277 9.1% $209 $208 -0.8%
Wisconsin Milwaukee $315 $333 5.7% $209 $208 -0.8%
Wyoming Cheyenne $395 $401 1.6% $209 $208 -0.8%
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of premium data from Healthcare.gov and insurer rate filings to state regulators. For more information see “Analysis of 2015 Premium Changes in the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplaces” September, 2014


Benchmark Bronze Plans

The table below presents the premium and percent change for the lowest-cost bronze plan in a major city in each state. These plans represent the lowest-cost option available to most shoppers on the Marketplaces.

Table 2: Monthly Bronze Premiums for a 40 Year Old Non-Smoker Making $30,000 / Year
State Rating Area
(Major City)		 Lowest Cost Bronze Before Tax Credit Lowest Cost Bronze After Tax Credit
2014 2015 % Change from 2014 2014 2015 % Change from 2014
Alabama Birmingham $208 $218 4.9% $160 $162 1.3%
Alaska Anchorage $310 $396 27.7% $95 $72 -24.2%
Arizona Phoenix $170 $153 -9.8% $170 $153 -9.8%
Arkansas Little Rock $231 $240 3.7% $135 $149 10.5%
California Los Angeles $188 $210 11.7% $142 $161 12.9%
Colorado Denver $186 $167 -10.0% $145 $164 13.0%
Connecticut Hartford $232 $196 -15.5% $113 $92 -19.0%
Delaware Wilmington $247 $239 -3.4% $167 $146 -13.0%
DC Washington $166 $181 8.8% $134 $147 10.1%
Florida Miami $198 $224 12.9% $138 $158 13.8%
Georgia Atlanta $202 $205 1.5% $161 $158 -1.9%
Hawaii Honolulu $145 $166 14.5% $143 $145 1.4%
Idaho Boise $192 $184 -3.9% $169 $182 7.3%
Illinois Chicago $152 $170 11.7% $150 $163 8.5%
Indiana Indianapolis $271 $251 -7.5% $127 $130 2.0%
Iowa Cedar Rapids $161 $182 12.9% $116 $144 24.1%
Kansas Wichita $148 $173 17.0% $148 $163 10.0%
Kentucky Louisville $162 $135 -16.8% $162 $131 -19.4%
Louisiana New Orleans $208 $202 -2.7% $106 $114 7.1%
Maine Portland $235 $218 -7.1% $149 $144 -3.6%
Maryland Baltimore $146 $165 12.8% $127 $138 8.7%
Massachusetts Boston $242 $210 -13.1% $173 $161 -7.3%
Michigan Detroit $168 $181 7.8% $153 $155 1.0%
Minnesota Minneapolis $115 $140 21.4% $115 $140 21.4%
Mississippi Jackson $242 $226 -6.6% $42 $129 208.4%
Missouri St Louis $179 $198 10.6% $125 $130 3.7%
Montana Billings $206 $211 2.6% $157 $178 13.2%
Nebraska Omaha $197 $203 3.0% $135 $147 8.4%
Nevada Las Vegas $183 $201 10.1% $154 $172 11.8%
New Hampshire Manchester $227 $188 -17.1% $147 $149 1.3%
New Jersey Newark $280 $279 -0.3% $167 $171 2.1%
New Mexico Albuquerque $154 $131 -15.2% $154 $131 -15.2%
New York New York City $307 $308 0.3% $151 $144 -4.7%
North Carolina Charlotte $224 $249 11.3% $126 $129 1.7%
North Dakota Fargo $213 $223 4.5% $151 $159 4.7%
Ohio Cleveland $185 $196 5.8% $146 $157 7.2%
Oklahoma Oklah. City $129 $148 15.0% $129 $137 6.2%
Oregon Portland $165 $175 5.8% $165 $170 2.6%
Pennsylvania Philadelphia $238 $219 -7.9% $147 $159 8.1%
Rhode Island Providence $210 $201 -4.3% $127 $149 17.5%
South Carolina Columbia $202 $201 -0.4% $142 $133 -6.9%
South Dakota Sioux Falls $239 $217 -9.3% $184 $168 -9.0%
Tennessee Nashville $139 $153 10.3% $139 $153 10.3%
Texas Houston $162 $188 15.8% $134 $146 8.5%
Utah Salt Lake City $152 $168 10.3% $152 $161 5.5%
Vermont Burlington $336 $360 7.1% $132 $131 -0.7%
Virginia Richmond $170 $173 1.8% $126 $121 -4.4%
Washington Seattle $186 $194 4.3% $114 $148 29.5%
West Virginia Huntington $215 $234 8.9% $170 $165 -3.4%
Wisconsin Milwaukee $244 $261 7.1% $138 $136 -1.7%
Wyoming Cheyenne $331 $346 4.7% $145 $153 5.1%
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of premium data from Healthcare.gov and insurer rate filings to state regulators. For more information see “Analysis of 2015 Premium Changes in the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplaces” September, 2014

 

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