Consumers Without Subsidies May Pay $189 More per Month and Choose Lower Metal Level Health Insurance Plans, According to eHealth Analysis
According to eHealth's analysis, health insurance shoppers without subsidies who shopped through eHealth paid average health insurance premiums that were
"It's estimated that as many as forty percent of Americans shopping for coverage on their own will not be eligible for government subsidies1," said
Subsidized vs Non-Subsidized Health Insurance Shoppers
For the purposes of the analysis below, eHealth used health plan selection and cost data from its
Average premiums for individual coverage:
- Among shoppers who used subsidies: Across all metal levels, the average premium for an individual plan before subsidies were applied was
$346 per month. After subsidies were applied, the average premium cost to the consumer was$82 per month. - Among shoppers without subsidies: Across all metal levels, the average premium for an individual plan was
$271 per month, the full cost of which would be borne by the consumer.
Average premiums for individual plans by metal level:
- Among shoppers who used subsidies: Individual shoppers selecting bronze plans paid an average of
$68 (after subsidies) toward their monthly premiums; those selecting silver plans paid$69 on average; those selecting gold plans paid$208 on average; and those selecting platinum plans paid$220 on average. - Among shoppers without subsidies: Individual shoppers selecting bronze plans paid an average of
$259 toward their monthly premiums; those selecting silver plans paid$328 on average; those selecting gold plans paid$353 on average; and those selecting platinum plans paid$411 on average. In each case the full cost would be borne by the consumer.
Premiums under
- Among shoppers who used subsidies: More than two-thirds (69%) of individual shoppers selected plans with premiums of
$100 or less per month after subsidies were applied; nearly half (46%) had premiums of$50 or less. - Among shoppers without subsidies: More than six-in-ten (61%) individual shoppers selected health insurance plans with monthly premiums of
$200 or more.
Most common metal levels selected:
- Among shoppers who used subsidies: Silver plans were the most commonly selected plan type from among all metal tiers4.
- Among shoppers without subsidies: Bronze plans were the most commonly selected plan type from among all metal tiers. For these shoppers, the average deductible for individual plans was
$4,164 .
Inventory of Major Medical Insurers and Plans in 50 Metro Areas
In addition to the cost analysis above, eHealth also published information today on the total number of insurers represented and total number of plans offered through eHealth in fifty metro areas across
Atlanta, GA (zip code 30009): 57 plans offered by six insurersAustin, TX (78660): 51 plans offered by five insurersCleveland /Akron, OH (44221): 54 plans offered by seven insurersDenver, CO (80219): 60 plans offered by five insurersDetroit, MI (48180): 67 plans offered by six insurersLos Angeles, CA (90650): 45 plans offered by five insurersMiami, FL (33012): 46 plans offered by five insurersOklahoma City, OK (73013): 46 plans offered by five insurersPhoenix, AZ (85225): 70 plans offered by six insurersSalt Lake City, UT (84118): 59 plans offered by six insurers
Each of the plans included meets the minimum essential coverage requirements of the Affordable Care Act, though some may not be available through government-run health insurance exchanges. These statistics are subject to change and reflect eHealth offerings only during the
Notes:
1 A
2 Source: eHealth's Health Insurance Price Index Report for Open Enrollment and Q1 2014. Data from this report utilized in this analysis is based solely on health insurance shoppers selecting individual and family major medical plans through eHealth during the 2014 ACA open enrollment period,
3 Source: ASPE Research Brief, Premium Affordability, Competition, and Choice in the Health Insurance Marketplace, 2014. Refer to the report for methodology information.
4 Source: ASPE Issue Brief, Health Insurance Marketplace: Summary Enrollment Report for the Initial Annual Open Enrollment Period, published
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Source: eHealthInsurance