Healthcare.gov average premiums going up in 2015

12/4/14:

Many HealthCare.gov customers will face higher costs next year, the Obama administration acknowledged Thursday in a report that shows average premiums rising modestly.

However, officials said millions of consumers who are currently enrolled can mitigate the financial consequences if they are willing to shop around for another plan in a marketplace that’s becoming more competitive.

Premiums for the most popular type of plan will go up an average of 5 percent in the 35 states where the federal government is running the health insurance exchanges, said a report from the Health and Human Services Department.

However, the administration says about two-thirds of current customers can still find coverage comparable to what they have now for $100 a month or less if they shop around. That estimate takes into account the tax credits that most consumers are entitled to, which cover about three-fourths of the cost of premiums on average.

Double-digit premium increases were common for people buying their own insurance before the passage of President Barack Obama’s health-care law.

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