CBO: Most Premiums Won't Rise Under Health Bill

People under employer plans will see rates fall or remain steady

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 1, 2009 7:41 AM CST

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CBO: Most Premiums Won't Rise Under Health Bill — Most people will avoid major increases in health insurance costs under the bill before the Senate, according to the CBO> (Shutter Stock)

Fears that the health bill before the Senate will send the cost of most health insurance plans skyrocketing are unfounded, according to a Congressional Budget Office report. The CBO found that premiums for people covered by employer plans will remain steady or drop slightly under the bill, while people buying individual plans eligible for subsidies will see premiums drop by more than 50%.

The people who will be walloped by price hikes, according to the CBO's analysis, are those buying insurance plans on their own who don't qualify for premiums, an estimated 15 million people. They can expect premiums to go up by between 10% and 15%—a figure that Republican senators homed in on, the New York Times reports. The CBO's report "confirms our worst fears," Sen. Chuck Grassley said.
(More health insurance stories.)

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