Officials from Delaware’s Insurance Department are responding to a federal report issued last week that shows First State health insurance premiums under Obamacare are higher than the national average.
That U.S. Department of Health and Human Services report said the average price for a silver plan, the most popular, is $103 a month after tax credits in Delaware. The national average for silver plans is $69.
Assistant Director of Market Conduct at the Department of Insurance Linda Nemes says the federal report doesn’t tell the whole story.
"There are multiple factors that influence a state’s premium - an easy apples to apples comparison is not necessarily there," said Nemes.
Nemes says the issues of Medicaid expansion, competition in healthcare delivery and mandated treatment in the Delaware system for things like autism help to explain why Delaware’s rates are higher than the national average.
"Everyone in this department, starting with the commissioner’s, purpose is to make this the best possible environment that can be for residents of Delaware to make sure they have the coverage they need and that they have access to the healthcare they need through that coverage," said Nemes.
Insurance Department officials add no more insurance carriers have sent letters of intent to enter the Delaware marketplace, a move that might help to lower costs, though Nemes says savings are likely to be found on the delivery end of the healthcare process.
