Average Benchmark Plan Premium Slightly Drops, Insurer Participation Rises in 2021

June 4

The national average premium for the second-lowest-cost silver plan, or benchmark plan, sold through the Affordable Care Act exchanges is $443 per month for a 40-year-old nonsmoker in 2021, a 1.7% drop compared to 2020, according to a recent analysis by Urban Institute. Average state benchmark premiums range from $292 in Minnesota to $782 in Wyoming. The study also suggested that premium variation was strongly associated with the number of insurers participating in a region. The benchmark premium in a rating region with only one insurer was $148 higher per month than the premium in regions with five or more insurers.

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Health Plan Weekly

Jinghong Chen Reporter

Jinghong produces infographics and data stories on health insurance and specialty pharmacy for AIS Health. She graduated from Missouri School of Journalism with a focus on data journalism and international reporting. Before joining AIS in 2018, she worked at WBEZ, Al Jazeera English and The New York Times Chinese.

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Average Benchmark Plan Premium Slightly Drops, Insurer Participation Rises in 2021

Jinghong Chen Reporter

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Lauren Flynn Kelly Executive Editor, AIS Health, and Managing Editor, Radar on Medicare Advantage

Angela Maas Managing Editor, Radar on Specialty Pharmacy and Spotlight on Market Access

Leslie Small Managing Editor, Health Plan Weekly and Radar on Drug Benefits

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