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ACA options are increasing, but so are premiums

Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The Washington Examiner has a good breakdown of a surprising trend: More insurers are entering the market for ACA coverage next year, despite a slew of expert predictions that options would dwindle in the face of political uncertainty.

The catch: The conventional wisdom has been that regulatory uncertainty would lead to market exits and higher premiums. Instead it's leading, so far, to market entries — and higher premiums.

The details:

  • As Axios reported yesterday, Oscar is expanding into six new markets.
  • Of the 10 states to release preliminary rate filings so far, seven will see at least one more available option next year.
  • Premiums for middle-of-the-road coverage are on track to increase by about 15% for next year, the Examiner reports — and they already went up by double digits this year, in many parts of the country.
Health insurance marketplaces