More than 200,000 Wisconsin residents who obtain their health insurance through the federal exchange will pay less than the national average next year, but an advocacy group says premiums vary dramatically across the state, and the real story is a dramatic increase in deductibles.
The average Obamacare Silver plan will cost Wisconsin residents 4.7 percent more in 2016. That’s lower than the 7.5 percent jump in the 37 states that use Healthcare.Gov. But Robert Kraig with Citizen Action of Wisconsin said deductibles in the plans went up an average of 40 percent across the state.
“That’s $1,253 more before insurance actually kicks in for a consumer,” Kraig said, calling that “a dramatic change.” A preliminary review by Citizen Action also found that premium changes vary dramatically across the state, falling 72 percent in Sheboygan, while in Hudson premiums are increasing 52 percent from last year.
“What’s happened is, our state government has been in paralysis over the five-year-old fight on sabotaging and repealing the Affordable Care Act, and there’s very little action going on, on health insurance costs,” Kraig said. “These numbers tell you that this needs to be a major agenda item in Madison. We need to get beyond the old debate over the Affordable Care Act and work together to bring health care costs under control in Wisconsin.”