Charles Ashby, The Daily Sentinel
If Colorado were to make the entire state a single geographical rating area when it comes to helping determine health care insurance premiums, as opposed to the current nine, it could reduce costs in rural parts of the state that have seen skyrocketing increases in recent years.
But to do so would require lower-cost areas, such as the more populous Front Range, to pay a lot more than they are now, according to a study released Monday by the Colorado Division of Insurance.
“Health insurance coverage is clearly too expensive in western Colorado, but moving to a single geographic rating area could disrupt Colorado’s health insurance market and reduce competition,” said Adam Fox, director of strategic engagement for the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, a health advocacy group. “We need to strike a balance between helping to lower costs and maintaining a competitive marketplace, and focus more on costs and how patients are using health care.”
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