Open Enrollment for The Affordable Care Act begins Tuesday, and Arizona is one of the states with the highest premium hikes and fewest options for consumers across the entire country.
Just last week, the Obama administration announced premium hikes averaging 20% in most states. Some plans will be more than double this year.
Here in Arizona, some people will see hikes of about 145%. The Obama administration says it is bolstering the exchange and that Arizona is an outlier and for most people participating because premium increases will be limited from subsidies for low income families.
But, the premium hikes are not the only issue for Arizonans. Most counties in our state will only have one insurer to buy plans from in 2017.
This map from the Kaiser Family Foundation shows the insurance marketplace in 2014 and what will be available for 2017. Each square represents one insurer found on the exchange. In 2014, nearly every county in our state had 6 or more insurers, and for this upcoming year, each county has one provider.
Since #ACA began, providers in AZ have gone from 6-8 per county to ONE. The Obama Admin says most states will see a 20% premium price hike. pic.twitter.com/ztIYjP4SZN
— Alexa Liacko (@AlexaLiacko) November 1, 2016
The open enrollment period goes until January 31, 2017. Go to Healthcare.gov to enroll and call 1-800-318-2596 for 24/7 assistance by phone.
