Study: Marketplaces stabilized in 2019

The Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces stabilized in 2019, with some increased insurer participation and smaller premium increases compared to 2018, according to a recent analysis by the Urban Institute with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “In 2019, most areas experienced modest increases, or even decreases, in premiums, despite the pending elimination of the individual mandate penalties,” the authors note. “And nationally, more insurers entered marketplaces than exited.” The report also notes the growing trend towards narrow network plans, with PPOs struggling in most states and HMOs dominating market shares.