It was barely more than a year ago, during the first ObamaCare sign-up period, when customers were stunned to learn that low-cost bronze plans carried deductibles of $5,000 or even $6,000.
By now, the maximum $6,800 bronze deductibles being proposed for 2016 plans have likely lost most of their shock value. The new sticker shock is silver plan deductibles that can reach as high as $6,500 as insurers push the envelope in finding ways to hold down premiums.
In some ways the news is better than it sounds because this type of silver plan only requires a co-payment, not full payment, for doctor visits and generic prescriptions. Amid concern about surprisingly large ObamaCare premium-hike proposals for 2016, Coordinated Care, which already offers the cheapest silver plan in Seattle, is proposing to charge 4.2% less next year for a silver plan.
The lower premium is deceptive, however, because the plan's features are changing so dramatically. This year, Coordinated Care's lowest-cost silver plan, Ambetter Balanced Care, has a $5,000 deductible, which is the maximum that a plan member has to pay out of pocket before the insurer covers all additional costs. Its proposal for 2016, which Washington state regulators must approve, has a silver plan deductible of $6,500... READ MORE
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