Modern Healthcare quoted Manatt’s Joel Ario, a managing director with Manatt Health, for an article about how the ACA marketplace compares with the off-exchange health insurance market.
The publication reports that one reason some consumers go off the exchanges is that they find it simpler to buy a plan directly from an insurer or through a broker if they think they don't qualify for a subsidy. “It's easier to move through the process off the exchange, so convenience is a factor,” said Ario.
Ario also said that new data from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation raise more questions than they answer about what's happening in the murky off-exchange market and how it affects the ACA exchanges. Much more needs to be known to guide policy and improve the functioning of the entire individual market, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s data set is a good start.
“Ultimately, it's good for people to have lots of choices for subsidized and unsubsidized products,” he said. “Consumers should have the same level of transparency about both markets.”
Read the article here.