2013
One thing insurance companies need to set premiums for health insurance accurately is claims experience and the longer the experience period they better. With enrollment for 2014 ending on March 31, insurers will have only six months of experience, probably less, before trying to finalize premiums for 2015.
Given the importance of this process to everyone from the President to the person paying premiums, it’s not surprising that open enrollment should begin after October 1st.
In fact, Health and Human Services plans to start of the second year of Obamacare enrollment on Nov. 15, 2014, and end on Jan. 15, 2015, instead of the Oct. 15-Dec. 7 window previously announced. If I were an insurance company, I would be pleased. If I am a Democrat running for office in 2015, I would be ecstatic. Election Day is November 4th.
Many people, me included, believe the reckoning for marketplace plan premiums will start in the 2015 plan year. Simply put, adverse selection and more accurate claims experience will be known. The slowing of health care cost increases will not be sufficient to offset this reality. Premiums will be going up, perhaps some plans will leave the market and others will be forced to modify the benefits.
Better to not hear this kind of news before November 4, 2014 ….. don’t forget to vote!😆
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
Health prices should be posted on the healthcare.gov website by 10/1. That is, the states and feds will have agreed to rates and coverage options and vendor/insurers long before 10/1 – in order to bring the site up by 11/15.
We’ll see just how transparent this Administration really is.
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Well, that means even a shorter experience period and more guessing and also makes me wonder why move the enrollment and still allow enrollment past Jan 1 in stead of have time to process befor Jan.
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