Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Good For Consumers; Good For Pharma: More Insurers; More Coverage -- In 2015 Under Obamacare


Ahem. The facts. . . matter.

And the facts. . . include these: Obamacare has improved competition in the health insurance marketplace, in the United States. That helps consumers.

And the broader pool of insured people -- nationwide -- adds to the money pharma (big and small) may collect for their life saving wares. This is what those Tea Partiers so desperately feared: A potentially healthier America, at a lower overall system wide cost? Seriously. Dude. Seriously?!

Via the Gray Lady overnight, then-- a bit (but do go read it all):

. . . .Consumers in much of the country will have a broader selection of health insurance plans next year, the Obama administration said Tuesday, as it predicted an increase of about 25 percent in the number of insurers that are expected to compete in federal and state marketplaces.

More competition will help hold down premiums, federal health officials said. The administration released preliminary data on insurers that have indicated they want to participate next year in the insurance exchanges, where the federal government subsidizes premiums for millions of people. So far, it said, the number of insurers, also known as issuers, is up to 315 next year, from 252 this year. For the 36 states served by the federal marketplace, it said, the number is up almost 30 percent, to 248 next year, from 191 this year.

Fourteen states ran their own exchanges, and half have reported the number of insurers expected in 2015. The number in these states and the District of Columbia is expected to increase by about 10 percent, to 67, from 61, the administration said. . . .


We will keep you apprised, but this is -- to the letter -- as I've said all along, since 2010. [Slow Merck news week.]

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