skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Friday, March 29, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Health Insurance Costs Rising, But More Slowly

play audio
Play

Thursday, June 18, 2015   

DENVER – Every year, Colorado's Division of Insurance reviews proposed increases in health insurance rates, and consumer comments are factored into its final decisions. The process has saved Coloradans $240 million since 2009, and more than $46 million in 2014 alone.

Matthew Valeta, health policy analyst with the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, says it's important to confirm that insurance companies aren't passing unnecessary costs onto consumers.

"We're trying to make sure the consumer perspective is taken into account," he says. "If rates are going up significantly for certain consumers, this is going to have a really tough impact on a lot of Colorado families. We want to make sure that voice is heard in the process."

For 2016, over 1,200 plans were submitted for review. Valeta says he found that cost increases across plans varies, which isn't new – but since the passage of Obamacare, Valeta says the rate at which premiums are rising has slowed.

According to Valeta, consumer experiences since the Affordable Care Act went into effect have been mixed. After leaving her job at a bank, Kylie Holub of Fort Collins says she was able to get coverage through Connect for Health Colorado, the state exchange. She describes her expectations as "pretty low."

"I was like, 'Oh, I'm going to get this, they're not going to really cover anything, it's just going to be a money pit.' And it really hasn't been," she says. "All my blood work was covered. That can be quite a pricey thing. What I've gotten from it so far has been wonderful."

The Colorado Consumer Health Initiative says all signs point to lower health insurance costs in 2016.

Since the initial Obamacare surge in 2014, which enabled people with pre-existing conditions to receive coverage, more healthy people are expected to sign up. Valeta says the penalty for not having insurance is going up next year, which should bring more young people into the pool.

"Two-point-five percent of your income is really a significant amount," he says. "So people who might otherwise have stayed uninsured will start to say, 'You know, this is a lot to pay to not be insured at all, so maybe I need to look into how much it will cost to get insurance.'"

Although Colorado's review process is good, Valeta adds the state can do more. Holding public hearings, giving consumers advance notice of proposed rate hikes, making insurers accountable for keeping costs down and improving quality of care are all on his list for going forward.


get more stories like this via email

more stories
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week about the popular abortion pill Mifepristone and will weigh in on whether the U.S. Food and Drug Administration was correct in how it can be dosed and prescribed. (Ascannio/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Missouri residents are worried about future access to birth control. The latest survey from The Right Time, an initiative based in Missouri…


Social Issues

play sound

Wisconsin children from low-income families are now on track to get nutritious foods over the summer. Federal officials have approved the Badger …

Social Issues

play sound

Almost 2,900 people are unsheltered on any given night in the Beehive State. Gov. Spencer Cox is celebrating signing nine bills he says are geared …


The U.S. teaching workforce remains primarily white while the percentage of Black teachers has declined. However, the percentage of Asian and Latinx teachers is rising.(WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobestock)

Social Issues

play sound

Education advocates are calling on lawmakers to increase funding for programs to combat the teacher shortage. Around 37% of schools nationwide …

Environment

play sound

New York's Legislature is considering a bill to get clean-energy projects connected to the grid faster. It's called the RAPID Act, for "Renewable …

Many factors affect a customer's bill amount, including energy usage, weather, and the number of days in a billing period, according to Arizona Public Service. (Jason Yoder/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021