Privately, health plan worries Senate bill would cause most small employers premiums to go up

Privately, health plan worries Senate bill would “cause most small employers’ premiums to go up”
Updated by Sarah Kliffsarah@vox.com Jun 25, 2017, 10:00pm EDT



https://www.vox.com/2017/6/25/15871574/senate-bill-association-health-plans



A large health plan is privately expressing concern that a little-noticed provision in the Senate health bill could drive up premiums for small-business health plans.


The Better Care Reconciliation Act, one health insurance industry source warned in a private email obtained by Vox, would “cause most small employers’ premiums to go up” and “leave consumers at risk.”



No health insurance plan has so far spoken publicly about this specific concern. The industry has so far been muted in its criticism of the Republican health care repeal efforts but, as this email shows, some are privately worried about its consequences.

The section of the law in question is one that, so far, has gotten little attention. The language is complex, but multiple experts who have reviewed the section believe it would reverse key consumer protections in small-business health plans — including the requirement to cover essential health benefits — take away regulatory power from the states, and potentially push up costs for small businesses whose workers are not overwhelmingly young and healthy.
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