A new analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation finds that in 73% of counties served by Healthcare.gov, people enrolled in the lowest-cost silver plan in 2015 could save money on premiums by switching to a different silver plan. In these counties, the silver plan with the lowest premiums in 2015 is no longer the lowest-cost plan in 2016, according to the analysis.
If they stay in their current plan, Healthcare.gov enrollees who purchased the lowest-cost silver plan in 2015 would have an average premium increase of 15%. The lowest-cost silver plan is the most popular selection in the Affordable Care Act marketplaces.
Over the course of a year, a 40-year-old switching to the lowest-cost silver plan in 2016 could save an average of $322 in premiums, the analysis finds. The average premium savings could be more than $500 per year in 16% of counties.
Potential savings from actively shopping for marketplace coverage in 2016 is available at http://kaiserf.am/1PC1yMf.
