CBO Projects That 2018 Health Insurance Marketplace Premiums Will Rise By 15% Due To Uncertainty About Fate Of Federal Subsidies

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that due to uncertainty about the fate of federal subsidies, the average benchmark premium for 2018 Health Insurance Marketplace plans will be about 15% higher than during 2017. A benchmark plan is the second-lowest-cost silver plan in an area; a silver plan, in turn, is one that pays an average of 70% of the costs of covered health care services to certain beneficiaries.

The CBO estimates that during calendar year 2017, the average Marketplace benchmark premium for a 21-year old is $3,400; for a 45-year-old, the benchmark premium . . .