State Health Insurance Laws That Raise Health Insurance Rates
Tuesday, November 8th, 2011 by adminIt's important to know what a state health insurance law is and how it can affect your monthly health insurance premiums. Every state has their own set of laws and can dramatically affect how your health insurance rates go up or down. Many states set the precedent for how insurance companies charge everyone. This predominantly affects non-group plans but does affect how much a group plan can increase their rate every year, too.
Every health insurance company uses a number to determine whether a person should be insured or not. This number is derived from basic factors such as level of health and age. The number that the insurance company uses, however, is not typically set by themselves. It has something to do with a state health insurance law that is in place. This number may make it more expensive on older individuals or those with health issues. The health insurance rates then increase and the state has more to do with those rising costs than they'd like to admit.
Healthcare is dealt with at a state level more than it is a federal level. Most of the laws in place are set by the state, which is why health insurance can differ significantly from state to state. Many states even add various things to a health insurance policy that must be covered. More than one state has added preventative maintenance features to the coverage that a health insurance company must offer their customers.
As a result of the added coverage, however, the health insurance rates increase. It is great for the people who can afford the coverage because they get more services for their monthly premium. It can be a deal breaker for those who were already barely affording their health insurance coverage, however.
Another aspect of state health insurance laws is how much an insurance company can raise their premium ever year. This can vary significantly from state to state and is a higher percentage than you would think possible. Delaware has theirs set at 15% while other states are higher or lower than this number. If your monthly health insurance premium were to be increased by 15% every single year, how long would it take until you're unable to afford health insurance anymore? This is the same question that many politicians are asking - especially when the average person's salary only increases by about 3%.
It is the state laws that everyone must focus in on to get to the bottom of health insurance rates. The laws that are in place in your state are responsible for the increases in health insurance rates that you've been experiencing.

