I have long been irritated by an apparent mindset at HHS expressed in factoids such as this, from the final enrollment report for 2016:
Nearly 7 in 10 of the consumers who selected, or were automatically enrolled into, a plan in the HealthCare.gov states had the option of selecting a 2016 Marketplace plan with a net premium of $75 or less per month after the advance premium tax credit.You'd think that all that mattered was premium price -- never mind if that $75 plan is bronze level with a $6,600 deductible. HHS marketing reflects this bias. Here's an email from last December:
Get covered and save: 8 out of 10 people who enrolled in a health insurance plan qualified for financial help. In fact, most people can find plans for $75 or less per month.I could go on about this, but as I already have, twice, let's move on. Perhaps a better if not so simple marketing point might be crafted after determining: What's the median price that marketplace enrollees pay for a silver plan? Given the low income skew of the marketplace customer base, that median plan will come with Cost Sharing Reduction that reduces the deductible to perhaps a tenth of the typical bronze plan's and raises the plan's actuarial value to 87%, compared to 60% for the bronze .
