GOP/HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/PHARMA: “Anthem Inc. (ANTM -1.37%) said it believes that the Senate Republicans’ health bill will bolster the individual insurance market, an endorsement for the legislation as many other insurers have suggested it could undermine the marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act.
In a statement, Anthem said it believed the bill ‘will markedly improve the stability of the individual market and moderate premium increases,’ because it allots billions to help stabilize the markets, eliminates a tax on health insurance plans and works on ‘aligning premium subsidies with premium costs.’
Anthem also mentioned ‘the challenges the current bill proposes to the Medicaid program knowing how important it is to achieve the necessary funding and access to health-care services and supports are for the individuals and families who rely on them to live healthy meaningful lives in their communities.’
The statement didn’t mention a feature of the bill that many insurers said would strongly undermine the individual market—it dumps the mandate for people to have insurance, which insurers say is important to getting young, healthy people into the market. Many insurers say that the bill’s other provisions, including the stability funding, aren’t strong enough to cancel out the impact of getting rid of the ACA’s coverage requirement.”
-Anna Wilde Mathews, “Anthem Says Senate Health Bill Will Bolster Individual Insurance Market,” The Wall Street Journal online, June 26, 2017 12:54pm