Health Plan Market Share, Premium Increases Correlated According to Health Care for America
July 20th, 2009
An organization called “Health Care for America Now” and Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) have called for an investigation of the managed care industry based on two separate reports issued on health plan market share and premium increases for employers and families.
The AMA 2008 edition of “Competition in Health Insurance” reported that 94% of insurance markets in the U.S. are “highly concentrated” and that the number of health insurers has declined by 20% since 2000. North Carolina has one of the highest concentrations with BCBSNC and United Health Care jointly controlling 73% of the health insurance market, according to the AMA report. Families USA has reported that annual family health premiums in North Carolina have risen from $6,649 to $11,618 from 2000-2007, or 75%.
To read the report, go to http://healthcareforamericanow.org/page/-/competition%20state%20reports/nationalreport.pdf
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