Yesterday, the Office of the Washington State Insurance Commissioner released the proposed health insurance rate changes in the individual market for 2019. (here) The average was a proposed 19.08 percent increase for 74 plans. All counties will have plans available, with 11 counties having only one insurer in the state Obamacare exchange. In general, the rate increases were higher in the exchange than in the individual market outside the exchange.

Insurance Commissioner Kreidler added this to the press release:

“There’s still a great deal of uncertainty in individual markets across the country, fueled by the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine the Affordable Care Act. Instead of getting behind solutions that shore up these markets, the administration seems solely focused on undermining our health insurance system and the individuals and families who need to buy their coverage in the individual market.  

“Shoring up these markets” is code for more taxpayer money, which is always the solution proposed by the left. Obamacare itself “undermined our health insurance system” by expanding government’s involvement in the insurance marketplace.

Kreidler went on to say:

“If the administration was serious about providing relief to consumers, it would abandon its proposals to segment the market with association health plans and short-term, limited-duration medical plans and work with Congress to pass market stabilization legislation and find solutions to the rising costs of health care and prescription drugs.”

Association health plans (here) and short-term, limited-duration plans (here) offer individuals and small groups the opportunity to purchase less expensive health insurance that people want and can actually use. Again, the left’s “solutions to the rising costs of health care and prescription drugs” means more taxpayer money, health care rationing, and price controls on drugs which would limit the development of more life-saving and life-improving medications. (here)

The individual market inside the Obamacare exchanges is in a death spiral because of ever-escalating premium prices and the resulting adverse selection. The tragedy is that a premium increase of almost 20 percent is a “relief” for our Insurance Commissioner.

Instead of more taxpayer money and more government intervention, elected officials should work toward more patient control and more free market solutions to control health care costs. (here) The free market works in virtually every other economic activity. Let patients, with their providers, make their own health care decisions and control their own health care dollars.