ACA Mid-Level Premiums May Rise In 2018ACA mid-level plan premiums could be increasing 34 percenton average next year, according to a recent analysis by a national consulting firm.These mid-level (also known as “Silver”) plans are considered the benchmark plans for people who sign up for ACA health insurance. Premiums for Bronze, Gold, and Platinum plans are anticipated to rise by an average of 18 percent, 16 percent, and 24 percent, respectively, compared to last year.Average State Premium Increases Anticipated:Iowa will have the highest jump in average Silver premiums of 69 percent. Alaska will have a decrease in premiums of 22 percent. Since the state set up a reinsurance program in which state and federal funds paid for the medical claims of high-cost enrollees,Alaska’s plan was lower this year.In short, the increase could be attributed to lower-than-anticipated enrollment in these plans as well as uncertainty about the future of the ACA exchanges.Based on the unknown,insurers do not know whether the administration will enforce the individual mandate that obligates people buy health insurance or pay a tax.People earning more than $48,000 a year for an individual or $94,000 for a family of four, won’t be eligible for premium subsidies. Some suggest that most in this category do not buy on state or federal exchanges, but directly through an insurer or a broker.Latest analysis predicts some people in this group may choose not to enroll in these plans at all in 2018, resulting in more uninsured. Aboutnine million others would receive subsidies causing their plans to remain at the same price they have paid in the past, assuming their gross income remains the same.The outcome remains uncertain.Source: Washington Examiner – 10-30-17