The Associated Press reports:
The health insurance industry is warning that a comprehensive Senate bill would increase the cost of a typical policy by hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars a year after lawmakers eased up on the requirement that all Americans get coverage. …
… the industry trade group America’s Health Insurance Plans sent its member companies a new accounting firm study that projects the legislation would add $1,700 a year to the cost of family coverage in 2013, when most of the major provisions in the bill would be in effect.
… study projected that in 2019, family premiums could be $4,000 higher and individual premiums could be $1,500 higher.
Here’s a link to the study: Potential Impact of Health Reform on the Cost of Private Health Insurance Coverage.
Arnold Kling has interesting comments on how the report was received:
If the Democrats had solid evidence that their reform bill will not substantially raise insurance rates, then they would just give us that proof and dispose of the issue that way. Instead, punishing the insurance companies for releasing the study suggests to me that the study has some validity to it.
(via John Goodman)
