Analysts: Inflation Reduction Act Will Have Mixed Impact on Health Insurers
With the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) now signed into law by President Joe Biden, analysts are predicting that some — but not all — of its health care provisions will be a boon for the managed care industry.
In a new report, insurance industry-focused credit rating firm A.M. Best noted that insurers estimated 2 million to 3 million people would drop their Affordable Care Act exchange policies if enhanced subsidies — which were ushered in as part of coronavirus relief legislation — expired in 2023. The IRA prevented that outcome, however, by extending subsidies for three years. The increased financial aid for enrollees both eliminated the subsidy cliff for higher earning individuals and provided access to zero-premium plans for people on the lower end of the income scale, helping drive enrollment to a record high in 2022.